Deal with the Devil
by southern owl
Summary: There are individuals who, with their very presence, change the fate of everyone around them. One such individual is about to throw a wrench in Loki's plans. Well, the seventh Avenger, Avani Beauchene, can be rather difficult to deal with.
1. Chapter 1: The Call

Hey, everyone. This is my first fanfiction, so be kind. Constructive criticism is welcome. If I don't explain something, or you have a question, feel free to ask. Please enjoy!

*Disclaimer – I do not own Avengers, or anything that is actually owned by Marvel. No characters, no storyline, nothing. This is just for fun.

Chapter One: The Call

As Director Fury left the conference room, he knew that this was his one chance to bring the Avengers Initiative to life. He would have to find a way to bring them together – _all_ of them – to form the response team that he knew they could be. Truthfully, he'd never really been banking on Phase Two, as his superiors had been. He was no fool. Bigger guns might deter an enemy for a while, but, ultimately, it brought only a new level of warfare. From rocks and spears to swords to cannons to guns and missiles, it was all the same. People, however, were different.

People could not be recreated, their powers and talents could not be exactly reproduced. With people, there were no blueprints to steal, no formulas to follow. While this was an advantage, since there was no point in making a big weapon if the enemy could do the same thing, there was also the matter of the unpredictability of people. This was what worried his superiors. The individuals chosen for the Avenger's initiative were certainly a – _volatile_ – mixture, but they were also uniquely gifted and powerful. Given the right incentive, they could become earth's strongest defense against the armies of other worlds.

He sighed and rubbed the scars that peeked from under his eye patch, trying to will away the headache he could feel coming on. Getting them together would be the hardest task. Captain Rogers knew his purpose, knew he was a soldier, and knew how to follow orders. Even Barton and Romanoff could follow orders. However, there was the matter of how the Avengers related to each other. Rogers didn't care for Stark, who he saw as irresponsible. Stark, of course, saw Rogers as a "goody two shoes" and loved to jab at him with sarcasm and snide remarks. Stark also did not like Agent Romanoff, which was a shared sentiment. On the other hand, Stark treated everyone like that, which certainly didn't endear him to any of the Avengers. Dr. Banner had no desire to be an Avenger, an understandable feeling considering his condition. Thor was practically impossible to contact because he resided on Asgard. The final member of the Avengers also had difficulty relating to the others simply because of her bloodline. None of them really knew how to react to having Satan's daughter around; Rogers could even be outright hostile because she stood, in his mind, for everything that was wrong.

Fury stopped rubbing his scars and continued down the hall, calling orders to his second in command. He had a team to call in. They would iron out their differences, eventually. He hoped.

_It's time for Animaniacs! And we're zany to the max! So sit back and relax, you'll laugh until you collapse, we're Animan-iacs! _Avani groaned as her phone continued to ring. It was loud enough to permeate through her dream – which she couldn't quite recall - and wake her from a restful slumber. Opening her bright blue eyes, she quickly located the vibrating and glowing device in the harsh afternoon light. Closing her eyes, she made a grab for it, missed, and after some fumbling brought the thing to her ear. "Hello?" She mumbled sleepily, still not quite awake. "Beauchene, this is Agent Coulson. We have an –" the voice on the other line said, before she closed the phone and rolled over to fall asleep again.

_It's time for Animaniacs! And we're – _She snatched the phone up again, "What the f-!" Agent Coulson cut her off, saying, "You have three minutes to get dressed and be in the car waiting at your door. I'll brief you on the way to the airport. This is important." _Click_. He hung up on her. After her sleep-muddled brain process the message, she quickly jumped out of bed. Rushing, she pulled a shirt over her head before pulling on a pair of jeans. A pair of socks and black combat boots completed the outfit. As she exited her room and made her way to the front door of her small home, she grabbed a backpack out of the coat closet and picked up her wallet and keys from the entry way table. She looked at herself in the small mirror in the hallway, trying to make herself look presentable. She ran a very tan hand through her short ash-blonde hair, slender fingers carding through the soft locks. She was, she thought, a fairly attractive woman. She had the same features as many people of mixed parentage. Her fair hair and blue eyes stood out in sharp contrast to her dark golden skin. There was an abundance of people like her in the city. New Orleans had a long standing tradition of wealthy white men taking pretty young black women as mistresses, so she blended well. With a minute to spare, she closed and locked her door behind her and made her way to the black Lincoln that sat in front of her home. With a final glance back at the house, where her bed was certainly calling to her, she climbed into the back seat next to Agent Coulson.

Smiling, he looked up from his watch – the arrogant sneak had been counting the time – and he handed her a folder and signaled for the driver to continue. Glancing through the papers, she saw brief summaries on the people who were to make up the "Avenger's Initative." _What a stupid name_, she thought. _What, are we out of a comic or something? Next they'll want us to form a "Justice League" or some shit like that._ The first "Avenger" she came across was the team captain, Steve Rogers. He looked as prissy as ever. The next was Dr. Banner, a man that she knew was reasonable and down to earth, for the most part. Bruce, at least, had an idea of what it was like to be a monster and to fight the monster inside. It would be good to know that she had a friend along for the mission. Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton were part of team, as expected. While they did not have the powers that she, Rogers, and Bruce possessed, they made up for that with breathtaking skill.

She frowned as she turned to the page on the next Avenger. Tony Stark. While she didn't hate him, exactly, he had a way of getting under people's skin with sarcastic comments and "endearing" nicknames. Sure, she was sarcastic enough, but she usually had the good sense to keep some of those comments to herself for the most part. He was just obnoxious. The final member was someone that they couldn't really count on: Thor. While he was very strong and an excellent fighter, that didn't really count for much if he wasn't here. She'd heard that commuting from Asgard to "Midgard" could be a real bitch since required lots of energy, etc., and then there was the matter of trying to get back home . . .

The next few pages were on a block of energy or something called the "Tesseract." S.H.I.E.L.D. had been looking to use it as a clean, sustainable, and efficient source of energy, and it had apparently been stolen when Thor's brother, Loki, came through a portal thing made by the Tesseract from the other end of space. Loki made off with the Tesseract, several key scientists that had been working on it, and Clint Barton, a.k.a. Hawkeye. Loki, according to the report, had a "short, spear-like weapon of unknown power" that could turn people into his servants by tapping them on the chest with said weapon.

Avani paused at this.

So the enemy could, allegedly, turn good guys into bad guys, to put it in simple terms? Well, shit. Were there restrictions on that sort of power? How did he control them? Mind control? What if there were no limits? Then this guy, Loki, could just tap everybody in the world and BOOM. World domination. She'd have to bring that up to Fury and pray that Loki could only control so many people at a time. The last page of the brief was a very short paragraph on Loki, accompanied by a picture. She didn't think he looked like the evil type. Mischievous perhaps, a sort of prankster, but not someone to want to take over or destroy the world. His bright green eyes seemed haunted. His face was made for smiling, not for the look of scorn that she saw on his features.

She closed the folder and looked up to find that they were on an airstrip, pulling up to a large jet. As the car slowed to a stop, she handed the folder back to Coulson and exited the vehicle. The sooner she got this done, the sooner she could get back home.

_To Be Continued . . ._

Hello again! As I said earlier, please let me know what you think. I didn't have anyone read this over for me so if you see a typo or mistake, please let me know I can correct it. Thanks!


	2. Chapter 2

Greetings, readers! Congratulations to us both! You stayed to read the second chapter and I have, obviously, worked to publish it. Well, in case you haven't guessed this will be an LokixOC story. If you don't like it, then, by all means, the back button is at the upper, left hand corner somewhere. If you do like it, tell me! Since this is my first story, my confidence needs a boost and comments are fuel. The more I get, the more I write! Also, I apologize for any errors you may find. Please, inform me of them and tell me how to go about fixing them. I'm new to this so I don't really know how to do any of that. Well, enjoy!

*Disclaimer – I don't own anything.

Here's a quote, just because I like quotes : "Shall I tell you what sociology teaches us about the human race? I'll give it to you in a nutshell. Show me a man or woman and I'll show you a saint. Give me two and they'll fall in love. Give me three and they'll reinvent that charming thing we call 'society.' Give me four and they'll build a pyramid. Give me five and they'll make one an outcast. Give me six and they'll reinvent prejudice. Give me seven and in seven years, they'll reinvent warfare. Man may have been made in the image of God, but human society was made in the image of His opposite, and is always trying to get back home." – _The Stand_ by Stephen King.

Chapter 2: The Assembly

Avani found herself seated on the jet alone as Coulson boarded another military plane to go retrieve the other parts of the Avenger's Initiative. The plane she was on was obviously military. The seats were small and they lined the wall on either side. No fold-down trays, no magazines, no flight attendants. Just the two pilots in the front who, if she went by their nervous glances back to where she sat, would very much prefer if she stayed where she was. Avani sighed as she hoisted her backpack into her lap and shut down her cell phone. She didn't want to be responsible for a communication mix-up or accident just because they were too chicken to tell her to turn off her phone.

_It's funny, _she thought, grinning wryly. _People are happy to judge me by my blood until they need me. As soon as the fighting it won't matter who or what I am as long as I can save them._ No doubt the men had been told who she was. This was a reaction she was used to. It sort of came with the territory of being the Devil's daughter. Very few people were entirely comfortable around her. They could be appreciative, when she saved them, and even friendly, but she could always see the doubt lingering at the back of their mind, their fear that she could turn on them. She couldn't even blame them, really. She was a dangerous creature, capable of great feats. Great and terrible feats. If she wanted to, she could kill them in any number of ways. If she worked at it, she could decimate entire towns, cities, armies.

However, she had different interests. She wanted to keep her city, New Orleans, safe and to make it successful. She wanted to protect her people. Her main goal was to stop her father's plans wherever and whenever she could. She would often take down people wanted by UN for war crimes and hunt down those who served her father to further distance herself from him. Yeah, she was a regular saint. Of course, being the millionaire that she was (investing in Apple when it was just getting its start had been a good decision, but she wasn't above taking some of the money that the crime-lords she busted had on hand), she lived in comfort and attended high society parties. At home, she spared no expense in providing for her entertainment. She had lived for over two and a half centuries and she had found that the worst part of immortality was watching those she loved die as she stayed young forever. The second worst thing was being bored.

Really, she wasn't a bad person, though some people may have thought her personality lacking. _Piss on them. If they want to be bigots, let 'em. I've other things to worry about_, she thought, observing the pilots. She turned her focus to the mission that lay ahead. This Loki character, the way she understood it from what was in the report and from what she knew of Norse mythology, was a trouble-maker and sought revenge against his brother. Some kind of sibling rivalry thing was going on, the whole "living in my brother's shadow" spiel and what not. So typical.

Avani felt the jet shift as it came in for landing on what was probably the biggest warship she'd ever seen. It had not one, but two – _two_! – runways and several planes. Uniformed maintenance crews ran here and there across the deck, moving and securing planes. After a smooth landing, she exited the jet without a second glance at the pilots and was greeted by a very polite, blank-faced young soldier who led her into the ship to see Director Fury. As Avani entered the large control room, she nodded to Director Fury and stepped forward to shake his hand. He greeted her warmly, for him, and his handshake was firm, but she could see worry and stress were working on him as she looked him in the eye. He seemed to have aged quite a bit since she had last seen him a year or two ago.

"Welcome to the Fortress," he said. She cocked an eyebrow at the name of the ship and he explained, "That's what the soldiers call it. It's so big, I thought it fit."

"Of course. So I understand there's some kind of situation? Are you really calling in everyone? I doubt it will take that many of us. Loki may have a magic glow stick, but he doesn't look that tough. I'm sure just one or two of us could do the trick," she said.

He looked at her and simply said, "You underestimate him. Trust me, we'll need everyone. Agent Hill, please show Ms. Avani to her room. Feel free to check out the lab, also. The rest of the team should be here shortly." With a final nod, he strode towards the control screens where, if this were a normal ship, the Captain's seat would be.

"Ms. Avani, your room is this way, by the lab. Please follow me." Agent Hill said, politely and professionally. Avani slung her backpack over her shoulder and followed down the hall. Emergency supplies, like fire extinguishers and first aid kits were placed periodically along the bare metal walls and pocket lights illuminated the hall way. In the metal hallway, Agent Hill's footsteps echoed a bit, though she was very quiet for a normal human. Avani's steps were silent. Years of living on the run had taught her to be like a shadow, there and gone without a trace, without a noise. "To your right is the lab. It is equipped with the latest technology. We are hoping that Dr. Banner and Mr. Stark will be able to locate the Tesseract and so we have provided top of the line equipment." Avani paused to look through the window at the lab, but that kind of high tech, scientific technology didn't hold much interest for her.

"Looks a little too complicated for my tastes. Will all of us 'Avengers' be staying along the same hall?" Avani asked, unable to keep from rolling her eyes at the team name.

"Yes. You may choose whichever room you like, just write your name on the plaque on outside of your door to claim it as yours. Please make yourself comfortable. The others are due to arrive in half an hour." Agent Hill answered.

"Thank you for showing me around. I'll be back in the control room in half an hour, then." Avani said with a nod. She walked down to the end of the hall to where room 7, and opened the door. _Let's see where I'll be living for God knows how long_, she thought. Walking into the room, she noticed a small twin sized bed against the right side with a small night stand next to it. Both seemed to be bolted down to the floor, in case of attack or ocean swells. A chest of drawers occupied the left wall, with a door next to it. Upon further inspection, that door led to a small bathroom that held a sink, a toilet, and a tiny shower. A bare bulb in the ceiling of each room completed her quarters. _Well, it's not like we're on vacation._ She noticed that a toothbrush, toothpaste, and a bar of soap had been provided, for her convenience.

Avani walked back to the bed and set her bag down. In it, she had three changes of clothing. Three pairs of cargo pants (all black), three shirts (all grey), a sweater (dark grey), a jacket (also dark grey), and extra underwear and socks. The rest was survival equipment, such as a blanket, cooking tools, a plate, a bowl, some flint and steel, thin but strong rope, wire for making snares, fishing line and some hooks. The knives she usually carried with her and a spare hunting knife completed the ensemble. She always carried a few knives on her, just in case. She quickly strapped a large dagger to her right thigh, over her jeans, where her hand rested on the hilt. A knife was strapped inside each boot, against her ankle. One more knife was hidden in the small of her back. Before she was done getting ready, she pulled her extra iPod out of an inside pocket. She then left her backpack where it was and put her cell phone, which was still off, and her wallet into her pockets with the iPod and walked back out into the hallway. Quickly, she wrote her name on the door in her legible and plain writing. As she made her way back to the control room, she passed the lab and decided to go ahead and take a look inside.

Stepping inside the room, Avani was struck and a little disturbed by the airtight cleanliness of it. Sure, she liked things to be clean, but there was a point where things just became unnatural. The lab was well beyond that point. Sniffing distastefully, she took in the smell of cleaners and the sharp tang of metal. She wandered around the lab uneasily, careful not to touch anything. She thought she saw something that looked like a computer, but she couldn't be sure. Feeling satisfied that she could at least say that she had looked at the lab, she exited. The hall may be clean, but it was not quite so pristine as the lab. Avani made her way back to the control room in time for the remaining Avengers to walk in. It was at this moment, that, to her astonishment, she discovered that the ship could fucking _fly_. _What the hell? How is it even possible for this monstrosity to fuckin' float, let alone take frickin' flight?_ Quickly, she recovered from her surprise and took in the rest of the Avengers.

Rogers looked serious, as usual, and frowned at the sight of her. She felt the need to stick her tongue out at him or tell him that a few laxatives should help dislodge the stick that was apparently shoved up his ass, but restrained herself. When it came down to it, he didn't count for much in her book. She smiled at Bruce as he nervously wandered about, careful to avoid eye contact with the soldiers stationed at the back of the room. He nodded and returned a slightly stressed smile. Natasha she greeted with a handshake, and a quiet, "Hey, how ya doin'?" Avani knew that Natasha was suffering knowing Clint was in the hands of the enemy. Clint may even be considered the enemy now. Natasha put on a brave smile and said that she was fine, as if the situation didn't matter the least bit to her. Well, she was a spy and assassin so lying came easily to her.

Avani turned to observe Stark making his introductions to Bruce, saying, "Dr. Banner, your work with thermo-nuclear physics is unparallelled. And I'm a huge fun of how you turn into a giant green rage monster," he said smirking. Bruce just pursed his lips and nodded, arms crossed protectively in front of him.

As they assembled and sat at the table in the control room, Director Fury came and stood before them, ready to give them the good ol' old fashion break down. "Listen, all of you. We stand on the brink of possible annihilation, not just for ourselves but also for our entire way of life. Loki has the Tesseract and is trying to use it to form a portal. On the other side of that portal is an army. If that army comes through, it's game over. The world gets destroyed and we all get enslaved. That's about all there is to it. Now, Dr. Banner, I was hoping that you could locate the Tesseract by following the low-level gamma radiation that it emits," Fury said as he turned his attention to the man.

"Ah, - so I am to assume that you don't want the big guy, then?" Bruce said, skeptical and worried.

"No, we would like to keep you removed from the fighting. You are the leading expert on gamma radiation so we need your expertise in this situation," the Director replied.

"Well, I suppose I could configure your sensors to pick up the radiation, perhaps a reworking of the Hawking-Drightnien formule . . ." Bruce muttered. "Where is the lab?"

"Avani, if you would show the team to the lab and to their rooms?" Fury replied.

"Right," she said as she motioned for them to follow her back down the hallway. Walking quickly, she showed them to the lab and to their rooms. "I've got the one at the end. Just write your name on the board outside your room when you pick one."

"Wait, so you got first dibbs? That's so not fair," Stark said, with that ever-present half-smirk on his face.

"No need to whine like a little bitch, Stark, the rooms are all the same. I chose the end because in the event of an emergency, I can still beat all of you to the door. Even you, Spangles," Avani said, looking at Rogers, who looked rather affronted, either at the idea that she was in some way physically superior to him or because she called him something other than 'Mr. Rogers' or "Captain." Upon further reflection, it was probably the combination of the two. Avani demonstrated this by appearing at the end of the hall way and then back at the entrance to the lab before returning to where she had stood while speaking. "There are some advantages to being half devil," she said, before mockingly saluting Captain America and walking back to the control room. They were probably running some sort of search for Loki and she wanted to be there when the target was sighted. _This had at least better be entertaining. I'm gonna be so pissed if we can defeat this guy in one little skirmish and then end up eating at some hole-in-the-wall shawarma restaurant afterward._

_To Be Continued . . ._

Alright, there it is. Chapter two. I'm trying to keep things moving at a pretty steady pace. In chapter three, we should be encountering Loki for the first time, and an exciting time that will be (hopefully). Please, let me know what you think. Reviews = motivation! Thank you to all the people who put this story on their Story Alert list or on their favorites. And a special thanks to FanFicPhanatic2012 for the review!

P.S. what is Shawarma? I don't think I spelled it right.


	3. Chapter 3

Hello, everyone! Here we are, chapter three. So, I apologize for the delay. I've been rather busy lately (graduating and then our well pump went out which = no water = misery), but things should calm down here pretty soon so hopefully updates will occur often and with regularity. . . I have been struck with inspiration and ideas however, which has been a motivator in and of itself. Well, I can't think of anything else to say (besides a quote) so I'll try not to hold you up too long.

Quote: "As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of democracy." – Abraham Lincoln

Chapter 3

Avani tensed as the plane shook. Apparently, even at the high speed of the military aircraft, turbulence was a problem. Things had been happening fast since she had left the other Avengers standing in the hall. As she had entered the control room, Loki had been located at a high society gala in Germany. Within minutes, she, Natasha, Stark, and Rogers had been in the air on a very fast and probably experimental aircraft. It broke the sound barrier and had them in Germany in less than half an hour. Adrenaline rushed through her system: she could feel it. A battle was coming and her body naturally adapted and readied. Battle was what she had been made for. It was, above all else, her greatest talent.

She saw Stark ready himself in his suit and Captain America went in to the small onboard bathroom to suit-up. Natasha remained to pilot the aircraft and provide support.

The plan was for Avani, Stark, and Rogers to apprehend Loki, though, in her experience, villains with the intention of world domination usually didn't give up easily. Even when they know they are beaten, those kind of wackos made things messy, difficult. _We'll probably have to handicap him, maybe even kill him_, she thought. _That's how these things usually end_. Avani had dealt with her share of psychos, people who deluded themselves into thinking that they weren't getting what was due to them.

"We're about 3 minutes away from the gala," Natasha announced, slowing the aircraft.

Ironman and Avani stood up and walked to the back of the plane. "Oh, are you coming out with me today, Voodoo?" he said, looking surprised. "I think I've got this, maybe you should stay in here where you'll be safe and out of danger."

Avani rolled her eyes at the use of the old alias and scoffed at his insulting sexism. " I haven't been called that in over a century. Besides, Stark, if I don't go out there, who's going to protect your sorry tin ass?" She said as she hit the switch to open the hatch.

"I am honored that you have thought about protecting my 'sorry tin ass,'" Stark said with a wink as he put on his mask and jetted out of the plane. Avani felt a renewed adrenaline rush through her system as the change came over her. Her teeth sharpened, her fingernails growing into long slender claws. Two horns, curving back and then up over her head, burst into existence, made of blue flames. She growled a bit as the uncomfortable sensation of her spine lengthening and growing beyong her skin. It formed a long lion's tail tipped with blue flames that brushed her ankles. As her spine grew, bones formed over her shoulder blades to make black leathery wings. As the black skin stretched over delicate bones, she dove out of the air craft.

Snapping her wings out, she felt her wings catch an airdraft and lift her up. She couldn't help the silly smile that crept onto her face, softening her now fearsome appearance. _I love this_, she thought. _If ever I belong anywhere, it's here, in the skies_. Quickly pumping her wings and using a bit of magic to entice the wind to carry her, she caught up to ironman. Just as they were almost upon the plaza, ironman dropped, swooping to land on the street.

"What the hell are you doing? Now is not the time to get a coffee, you idiot!" Avani called, stopping to hover in the air, her wings supporting her.

"I just need to do something! Go on ahead, I'll catch up!" Stark called back. Avani watched him for a moment, considering diving down to knock some sense into him, but then decided that if he wanted to be a dumbass then that was his business and burden, not hers. With a sigh of exasperation, she continued on. Already she could feel the Loki's magical power and aura rolling off of him in waves. As she approached, she concealed her own magic and the feeling of Loki's power grew stronger. There was a dark and desperate smell to his power, and a longing. While she sensed great darkness in the magic, and a need to cause mischief, she sensed no true evil. A truly evil magic always left her feeling sticky and slimey, as if she contaminated all that she touched. To her, this magic, and it's wielder, felt desperate and hurt. Upon entering the square, she saw a crowd of people kneeling before Loki and his clones as he spoke to them. Her excellent sense of hearing quickly picked up on what he was saying.

"Is not this simpler? Is this not your natural state? It's the unspoken truth of humanity, that you crave subjugation. The bright lure of freedom diminishes your life's joy in a mad scramble for power, for identity. You were made to be ruled. In the end, you will always kneel." Loki said, slowing walking through the kneeling crowd, his green eyes alight with power. A smirk adorned his face.

At this point, Avani saw Captain America enter the scene from behind a building where Natasha was probably waiting. He spotted her and motioned for her to wait and then follow his lead and cover him. Avani, fidgeting at the idea of having to follow orders, especially the orders of someone who had yet to earn her respect, nodded in understanding and confirmation. She landed on the large mansion like structure from which Loki must have exited to wait for her cue. She took in Loki's appearance as she waited. He was a handsome man, tall, with aristocratic features and high cheekbones. His skin was pale and unblemished by scars or wounds. His eyes were a bright green that shone in contrast to his pale skin and long black hair. She didn't think much of his helmet though. It didn't look like it served much of a purpose, except maybe as radio antennae. She saw a man stand up in the crowd, an old man with white hair. A grandfather, probably.

"Not to men like you," the old man said, standing his ground. Loki turned to the man, serpent like in his movement. Avani could see him focus on the man, his aura sharpening and bristling at the defiance.

Smiling obligingly, as if talking to a child, Loki said, "There are no men like me." He continued to approach the old man.

"There are always men like you," the man said, his voice shaking a bit with fear. However, Avani had to admire his bravery. He didn't cower from Loki.

Frowning, Loki raised his scepter and said, "Look to your elder, people. Let him be an example of the consequences of defiance." At this, Avani prepared to raise a magical shield around the man, in case Captain America didn't make it in time. As Loki fired to green ball of energy at the old man, she saw a look of fear come over his face before he was hidden by Captain America and his round shield. Loki looked a little surprised at this turn of events, but not as surprised as Avani thought he would. _If he's got Hawkeye under his control, you can bet he has every bit of information on us that S.H.I.E.L.D. does, _she thought.

"You know, the last time I was in Germany and saw a man standing above everybody else, we ended up disagreeing," Rogers said.

Loki, quickly appraised him, a calculating look crossing his aristocratic features. "The soldier," he said. "A man out of time."

Rogers quickly replied, "I'm not the one who's out of time." Captain America quickly engaged Loki in combat, but Avani saw that Rogers was outmatched. Well, he was contending with a god. She launched herself off the high roof, using her wings only to slow and guide her descent.

She landed as Loki forced Rogers to kneel. "Kneel!" Loki commanded. Avani walked up behind Loki and politely tapped him on the shoulder as she ended the spell that hid her magic. He turned, startled, and his eyes widened slightly when he saw her. "Ah, yes, the she-devil," he said. She could feel his magic probing at hers, testing her.

She smiled sweetly in reply and, mimicking his cultured tone, said, "Ah, yes, the idiot." With that, she quickly cocked back her right fist and punched him in the jaw, sending him back a few feet away from the quickly scattering crowd. Loki caught his footing and brought a hand to his jaw, rubbing it. "Don't bother, honey, by the time I'm done with you, you're going to have a lot more to worry over than a bruised jaw," Avani said, allowing her southern drawl to accentuate her words. He glared, looking her in the eyes. His bright emerald eyes were angry, but they held another emotion in there that she couldn't quite name. Not that that really mattered to Avani. She heard Captain Rogers rise and come to stand beside her as the S.H.I.E.L.D. aircraft approached.

Natasha came over the intercom and said, "Loki, drop the weapon and stand down." Naturally, Loki raised his scepter higher and began to approach. He walked slowly and smoothly, much like a dark panther coming to defend its territory. He paused in his approach as rock music suddenly blared and Ironman entered the scene in true superhero style, theme song and everything. Stark blasted Loki with an energy blast, apparently knocking all the fight out of him. As he lay dazed on the concrete of the square, Captain America placed cuffs on him, which were apparently a little more high tech than the standard cuffs issued to policeman, though Avani did not place much faith in the bonds placed on Loki. _Loki was a trickster god, he had escaped from far more complicated chains before so a pair of handcuffs, no matter how strong, should be no challenge. _She frowned at this unsettling thought.

Placing Loki between them, she and Rogers carried him on to the ship. Avani noticed that he had more muscles than she would have expected from a sorcerer. Most sorcerers spent their time buried in books and old tomes, from her experience. They scorned anything more physical than reaching onto a high shelf for a particularly large and interesting book. They loaded Loki on to the aircraft, dragging him a bit up the ramp before strapping him into a seat at the rear. Quickly, they took off, heading for the Fortress.

Avani took a seat opposite Loki, intending to keep an eye troublemaker as Stark and Rogers walked towards the cockpit. "This seems too easy," Rogers commented. "He packs quite a wallop. He could have resisted a lot more."

"Well, maybe he doesn't take well to energy blasts? They are a bit stronger than your typical brutish brawling," Stark said, jabbing at Avani and Rogers simply for the pleasure of getting a rise out of them. Avani ignored them both. She focused instead on the battle for magical dominance that she and Loki were having. She stared into his eyes, focusing on their emerald depths and what was hidden there as he searched her blues eyes for her secrets. His magic pushed against hers, an unstoppable force, as her magic stayed put, an immovable object. He changed tactics, shaping his magical aura into a sharp point, he attempted to break through her barriers. Once again, her magic formed an insurmountable obstacle. Changing tactics once more, he relaxed, allowing his magic to explore her barriers easily, searching for weakness, for a crack in her defense.

"It won't work, you know," she said finally, tired of his testing of her power. "My barriers are second to none."

"So I see," he said, his voice light and playful. A small smirk graced his features. "Well, I suppose it would be no fun if you were so easy to conquer. I don't believe we've been introduced. My name is Loki. You are . . ?" he trailed off, expression open but his eyes sharp, processing her every movement.

"I am Avani Beauchene, of New Orleans, Louisiana, US of A. Though, I suppose that doesn't mean much to you. I doubt that you've thought to learn in depth about who and what you are trying to take over." Avani replied, scorn sharpening her tone.

"You're not wrong, I am unfamiliar with the 'governments' and 'countries' that humans identify themselves with. I don't think they matter much. When I rule, such divisions will be erased. I will unite the human race and bring peace. Is that not a worthy cause? I am aware that you have seen many wars come and go. Would you not end all of them for the rest of eternity, given the chance? Frankly, I'm surprised that you have not conquered this world. Certainly, with your divine nature, you could." He said.

"Honey just drops off your tongue, doesn't it? You'd really like to paint yourself as some kind of savior, wouldn't you? You will not bring peace. You would erase the individuality of the human race, erase cultures that have survived thousands of years. You would end their humanity and make them unthinking slaves. That is worse than any war. I have seen men blown to bits, I have watched men drown and burn and bleed and die. I have watched the tools of war advance from muskets and horses to planes and missiles and nuclear bombs. I know what a monster war is. But any war is better than slavery. Without freedom, what is the point of living? Without freedom, there is no advancement, no progress, no compassion that can be cultivated. You would take this world and make it a hell, Loki." Avani replied fiercely, eyes lighting with outrage, voice tight with anger.

Loki smiled at this, taking in her emotions. "Then you would rule this world better? Why don't you, then?"

"Hmph, I'm no ruler. I don't want that kind of responsibility. I don't even really want to have to deal with you, but it would be damn inconvenient if you took over the world."

Loki said nothing in reply to this, but continued to smile, though his smile grew uneasy, before it melted away completely as thunder boomed in the sudden storm they had entered.

"Afraid of a little storm, Loki?" Rogers asked, looking skeptical at Loki's nervousness.

"Just not overly fond of what follows," Loki replied absently, looking nervously through the windows above. Avani jumped a bit as the next crash of thunder seemed to impact the aircraft, making it shake. She rose, and walked to the front to ask Natasha about perhaps putting the plane down until fairer weather prevailed. As she did so, the rear hatch opened and a large man with long blonde hair entered and yanked Loki out of his seat. She rushed to stop the man but Rogers and Stark stood, inadvertently between her and the intruder. As lightening flashed, the man jumped out of the plane, taking Loki with him into the storm.

She and Ironman ran to the back of the plane, preparing to jump. "Wait, we need a plan!" Rogers said.

"Okay, some long haired Fabio with a hammer just jacked our prisoner and you want to sit around and make a plan? You do that, I'm out." Avani said changing into her demonic form.

"I have a plan: attack." Stark said, before joining her in leaping from the plane.

_To be Continued . . ._

Well, that's all for now. Hopefully, I'll have more by Wednesday. As I said, please review. I got some quotes from the movie from . I want to stick as close to the movie as I can in some ways. I'm also trying very hard to keep everyone in character but results may vary. Thanks for the reviews I've gotten and thank you for all the story alerts and favorites! Really made me feel guilt for everyday that I didn't get this done!


	4. Chapter 4

Hey everybody! Well, here is the next installment. If any of you care, here's an update on what I've been up to when not writing this. I've read to books since the last chapter. Both were good but my favorite of the two was The Descent by Jeff Long. It was great! Not for the faint of heart. The other was Necropolis (can't remember who the author was, no offense). It was good, a classic mystery book and pretty amusing. I have also acquired my first tattoo, which is in honor of my mother. Well, let's see, now we need a quote, I do believe . . .

"He plants trees to benefit another generation." – Caecilius Statius

Chapter 4: The Bite

As Avani flew through the storm, she followed Loki's magical signature. The winds of the storm swept her from side to side and drafts pushed her up and down. She was worried a bit about getting hit by lightning. Not because it would kill her or anything, but just because it hurt like a bitch and made her white hair spikier than it already was. Finally, she dropped below the unnatural storm system. She continued towards Loki's magic, a burning beacon in the storm. As she neared, she saw the large blonde man holding Loki by the neck near a large cliff. They seemed to be talking, at least until Stark tackled the blonde guy and sent them both hurtling into the canyon on the other side of the cliff. Then it was just Loki on the cliff. Stark and the blonde guy were fighting it out, Loki forgotten as she landed softly behind him. He looked on, seemingly unaware of her presence.

"The least you could do is _try_ to get away, you know. It's almost like you _want_ to get caught," Avani said, suspicious of his behavior.

Loki turned from the fight, green eyes bright. He smiled mischeviously, "It would be too hard for me to leave your intoxicating presence. I thought I would stay and wait for you to retrieve me, dear."

"Charming," she said, making a face. "Now let's get back to the plane, Romeo."

"Oh, but I'd much rather watch my beloved brother get bested by this earthling. Oh, look! The Captain has entered the fray. It's not very often that my brother experiences defeat," Loki said, returning his attention to the fight, his voice friendly, as if inviting her to share in his joy.

"Whatever." Avani said, rebuffing his attempt. She bent down to the stone cliff and unsheathed the knife strapped to her thigh. She energized it with her power to strengthen it and began carving into the rock face. When she was done, she surveyed the work. The previously bare rock now read, "Hey idiots, when you're done playing king of the mountain, meet up at the ship. I have secured the prisoner. –A. B." Satisfied, she grabbed Loki roughly by the arm, "C'mon. We're heading to the ship." Avani could see the ship in the distance, only a mile or so away. _We may as well walk. No point in flying when it's so close._

He sighed. "Very well. You certainly are a serious woman," he said, watching her closely, taking in the way her jeans hugged legs and shapely hips and the way her shirt, now torn in the back by her large, and beautiful, wings, clung to her curves.

"I am not!" she huffed. "I'm only serious when I absolutely must be, like when I'm dealing with some psychopath hell-bent on destroying my world."

"I am not antisocial or particularly violent, I'll have you know. I actually don't care for violence in the least. As for destroying your world, I do not intend to do so. I intend to bring peace through my rule. Is that so awful?" Loki said, looking deep into her eyes as she led him down the cliff, presumably to the aircraft.

She whirled, facing him head on, eyes brightened in her fury. It was then that he noticed that her eyes were the same exact shade as the blue flame horns that emerged from her wild white hair and the blue flames that tipped her tail. She was a magnificent sight angry, lips curled back just a bit to reveal sharp white teeth in a razor-sharp grin, eyes narrowed and flaming. "'Is that so awful?' Yeah, it fucking is. We've already been over this," she said as she turned back around, yanking him firmly to make him follow her.

"Has anyone told you how irresistible you are when you're angry?" he said, a smirk on his lips. All he got in response was a tighter grip on his arm and a low growl. He saw her tail lash about agitatedly as she pulled him behind her. "If you're going to keep pulling me around, you could at least hold my hand, Love," Loki purred, seeing how far he could push her. She turned to him once more, slamming him into a tree without warning. She grabbed his hands and pinned them to the tree above his shoulders as she growled at him.

"Knock it off, asshole. I may have to get you back to the ship, but nobody said you had to be in one piece," she snarled, looking him in the eye to convey the threat behind her words. She had to look up to do this as she noticed how much taller he was. He was around 6 feet at least compared to her average 5' 4".

"Don't you like it when a man appreciates your form? You are an exquisite specimen. As for returning me in one piece . . ." he trailed off. Without warning, he slammed his weight against hers. Their power was matched, briefly, but his superior weight won through and he turned the tables on her, pinning her against the tree. He rested his body firmly against hers and pulled her hands above her head with one hand to keep her in place. "I think you will find that you present no real danger to me." She struggled against him. "There is no need to fight me. I can be a kind and merciful god, dear," he said as he reached up with his free hand to stroke her cheek. She closed her eyes briefly, and seemed to calm and accept his proposition until, with startling speed, she snapped her head to the side and bit deep into his fingers. He hissed as he felt her sharp teeth pierce his flesh, cutting to the bone, though he still kept his body firmly against hers. As the pain raced through him, he focused instead on the feel of her body – soft in some places, firmer in others – pressed against his.

Avani kept her teeth clamped on his hand and observed him sharply to see how he would react. She could taste his blood as it flowed into her mouth, hot and metallic. Her inner demon surged at the stimulation. For years now it had languished, chained by Avani's control and deprived of the things it loved best. Avani stilled as she felt the beast fight its restraints deep within her conscience. It snarled and raged, howling for more blood, more flesh, anything to feed its hunger. Loki did not miss the reaction that this drew from Avani, the way her eyes dilated as she seemed to turn her focus inward, as if she was at war with herself.

Hawkeye had warned him of this, that Dr. Banner was not the only one with an inner demon. Hawkeye said that Avani had locked her true-self away as a child because she feared the monster that she was. However, as she grew older, the beast grew more powerful within her and she had to carefully maintain the cage that kept the beast locked away inside. "You will release me," he said, looking her firmly in the eyes. He didn't miss the way his blood dripped down her lips and ran down her chin. This snapped her out of her daze and he saw her eyes focus. Gently, she released his hand and turned her head to the side to spit out what blood remained in her mouth.

"Don't care for how I taste, dear?" he said, using his injured hand to grab her throat, where she could not bite him. "I'm rather surprised that you bit me. A little kinky, don't you think?" He increased the pressure put on her neck. "I suppose I should give you some leeway because you are not trained yet. You don't know what it means to be governed. You've spent your whole life doing as you pleased so I'm sure it is difficult for you to understand the concept of behaving and obeying rules. You will learn." There was dark promise in his voice and the grip on Avani's neck tightened further, cutting off her air supply. Avani could feel her body filling with nervous energy as it registered the lack of oxygen and panic built in her chest. Not breathing was familiar to her. The lack of oxygen wouldn't kill her, but it terrified her nonetheless, reminding her of times when she was helpless, drowning.

And then, suddenly, the pressure was gone.

Loki dropped her and stepped back, giving her space and pondering the fear he saw in her eyes when she could no longer breathe. He knew that she didn't strictly _need_ to breathe, so why fear it? Avani recovered quickly, glaring at him while wiping the fresh blood away from her chin. Already, he felt the wounds closing up. Soon he would have the same unblemished pale skin that he had had before she decided to maul it with her teeth. He grinned a bit though. _It was rather kinky. Next time, I'll bite back_, he thought. "Shall we continue?" he asked, motioning in the direction they were headed before he had provoked her into attacking.

"Fine," she said shortly, "the plane is straight ahead." She motioned for him to walk ahead of her, which he did, though he was sorry to lose the right to watch her behind. She followed him closely, as if waiting for an excuse to attack him, waiting for him to make a run for it. Quietly, he proceeded to the plane. Once they reached it, they boarded and he was fastened securely back into his seat as they waited for the rest of their party. Soon, the three men arrived. Captain America was looking a little insulted. Obviously her note had bothered him. The men noted Loki healing wound and the small remnants of blood that spotted Avani's gray shirt, but said nothing. Avani nodded to their newest companion, Thor, and went to join Natasha in the front of the plane for the rest of the ride.

When they arrived at the Fortress, Avani quickly sought Fury to inform him that their captive, for whatever reason, desired to be on the ship. "He's up to something Fury. We can't trust that he won't do something, even if you put him in the Hulk's container," she said.

Fury replied, "I'm sure he's up to something. He's Loki. However, that thing can hold the Hulk. There's no way that Loki can get out of there, especially now that we have his weapon."

"That doesn't matter, he doesn't really need that thing to do magic. He's not the Hulk, he's a whole other beast," she said, stressing the importance of keeping an eye on Loki.

"Listen, I agree. I want you to go keep an eye on him. I'll send Rogers to relieve you later," Fury said before turning to what he clearly thought were more important manners than a criminal that was already caught in a cage. Avani stared in disbelief at his back. Had she really just been saddled with baby-sitting duty? _What the hell? I brought it to his attention so he could do something about it, not so he could tell me to do something about it! Why can't he put Rogers to the task first?_ she thought, frowning. _Fine. But first things first: I gotta eat._'

Avani walked to the mess hall, ordering a cart full of food. When a cart had been filled to her satisfaction, she rolled it to the containment room where Loki was waiting. She pushed the cart into the room and carried it down the stair to the front of his cage. He stopped his pacing to watch her, smiling with what seemed to be a mixture of curiosity and amusement. "You couldn't stay away, could you? Couldn't bear to be away from me?" he said, chuckling a bit.

"Whatever. I got stuck with baby-sitting you. Now shut up and let me eat in peace," she said as she picked up her first plate from the bottom of the cart. It had a rice dish on it, with some kind of sauce and bits of sausage mixed in. It smelled well enough, though it wasn't nearly spicy enough for her tastes. _Well, can't expect home cooking on this heap steel._

_To be continued . . ._

There it is, chapter three. Man, I'm tired. Sorry it isn't very long but it is getting very late, or early, rather. We had some exciting moments between Loki and Avani and some of you must be getting an idea of what he has planned for her. Sort of a dark romance thing going on. Anyway, like I've said previously, read and review. Thank you TeddyBearSunshineJoy54for the review – reviews are my fuel. And with that, good night!


	5. Chapter 5

All right, I'm back! So, I got commissioned to make a logo for an up and coming business today! Exciting, my first commission ever! I'm supposed to design a new tribal sea turtle for a surf rental business. If you want to check out my work, I'm on under mikaylamettler. Hopefully this works out and word will get around. I hate to have a talent I can't make use of, and tribal art is, for some reason, something I'm good at. In other news, I'm super motivated to crank out this next chapter! We'll get some more dialogue (flirting?) and maybe Dr. Banner will reappear. Well, let's have a quote, shall we?

"To insult someone, we call him 'bestial.' For deliberate cruelty and nature, 'human' might be the greater insult." – Isaac Asimov

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Chapter 5

To Avani's surprise, Loki did allow her to eat in peace. He stopped his pacing and took a seat on the lone bench in the cage, owning it like a king on his throne. He lounged, relaxed and comfortable, as if he wanted to be there, as if it were his, while calmly watching her eat. He seemed surprised by the sheer mass that she managed to consume. She knew what he was thinking : _Where the hell does all that food go?_ That was a normal response to her eating habits, though she was eating a bit more than usual. The truth was that she consumed a lot of energy containing her inner demon and using her powers ate into that. She had to eat more food that men four times her size because she needed and used all of the energy she derived from it.

What most people didn't realize that this was a serious handicap for her. She had to eat constantly, lest she run out of energy and no longer be able to contain the her darker side. If she were forced to go without food, it would not kill her. It would, however, have deadly consequences for everything around her. Her inner demon would seize control and feast upon every living thing in sight. Once its hunger for food was sated, it would go about sating its other needs, such as its need to kill, its need to torture, its need to destroy. Avani was all too aware that, at this point, if the demon were to take control, she would never be able to cage it again. It would be game over. Of course, those who were aware of her condition did not know all of this, what a true danger she was, though Dr. Banner probably suspected. As long as she got enough food, no one had to worry and things would continue to be as dandy as they had always been.

Quickly, she demolished every morsel of food, eating voraciously. She didn't care that Loki watched her. Hell, maybe this would gross him out and he would stop hitting on her like a creep. She watched him out his peripheral vision and was disappointed that there was no disgust in his gaze, only curiosity. "What? Do you get off on watching people eat or something?" she asked, tossing the last empty plate back on to the cart from where she sat on the ground next to it. She leaned back on the steel railing behind her and looked Loki in the eye, analyzing him.

He stood and strode towards the glass, coming as close to her as the cell allowed. "Not at all. I was simply wondering how you managed to eat all of that food. It is physically impossible for your body to hold that much," he said, taking a seat in front of the glass on the ground.

"My body digests and converts the molecules into energy as quickly as I can eat it. That means that it is basically impossible for me to ever get full, because that energy is also converted into magic. I really am a bottomless pit," she replied. She had an idea that he already knew this information from Hawkeye, but perhaps he was asking to see if he could discern more information or a possible weakness.

"I see. I must say, I am surprised to see you here. I would have thought that you would be trying to avoid me as much as possible. You seem rather shy of physical affections," he said, almost daring her to prove that she had no such fear.

"You're being a creep. I'm not shy of anything. What're you playing at, anyway? What kind of villain hits on one of the people that helped capture him?" she asked. _He's gonna lie anyway, but I may as well let him know that I am on to him. He's got a hidden agenda, a plan, and for whatever reason being on this ship is part of that plan,_ she thought.

"I'm not sure if you really want to know," he said, smirking, green eyes meeting her blue ones. His voice was smooth and deep. He was teasing her, holding the information he had over her head. "I wouldn't want to scare you away, though I might relent if you ask nicely."

"I can't imagine that it's worth it, but I thought you might want to tell me since you seem to enjoy the sound of your own voice so much, you arrogant bastard."

"Ooh, Kitten's got teeth _and_ a sharp tongue." She frowned at the nickname, rolling her eyes at his theatric emotional injury. "Tell me, have you thought of what my next move would be after I took this pathetic planet for myself to rule?" he questioned, quirking an eyebrow at her.

"No. Why would I? It ain't gonna happen," she said. He laughed at her stubbornness. She certainly had no intention of even considering that he may succeed.

"Well, consider this," he said, motioning with his hand to summon an image of earth to the air before him. "First, I will acquire this planet as my kingdom and I will rule as god for eternity. I am immortal, so my rule will also be immortal and my control over midgard will be absolute." A miniature version of himself now stood on top of the earth, a crown on his head. _Arrogant. Bastard. _ "However, eternity is a long time, no?" he paused, but not long enough for her to agree or disagree, and then continued. "Yes, eternity is a long time to spend alone. I've spent centuries alone and have found the experience boring and depressing. So I will need someone to keep me company and help me rule over the humans. Someone who may smooth the way for my interactions with them, someone they know." A second shape was forming beside his miniature self, a smaller person, slim. The person's features were still unformed though. "This person must be entertaining, someone I can grow fond of. This person will also have to be immortal, like me, because I do not want the person I have selected to grow old and die after I have come to enjoy her company." At this, the second form firmed into a definite female shape, slender though her shape seemed to hold a hidden strength. "She must also be strong, strong enough to help me rule and rebuff enemies, strong enough to defy me to keep me entertained. This calls for strength of body and strength of spirit. Can you imagine how boring it would be if my companion became a mindless slave? No, no, that would not do. Are you seeing what I'm getting at?" he asked suddenly.

"Yes, unfortunately. I don't know where you're gonna find someone like that, though. Perhaps you should go back to Asgard and look for her?" Avani said, a sweet smile on her lips. Loki admired how that falsely sugary smile lit up her serious countenance. The smile did not reach her fiery blue eyes though, which were still serious and wary. He returned her smile.

"Why should I do that when I have already found my Queen?" he said, using his magic to shape the female form next to his into a perfect copy of her. Short, spiky white blonde hair sprouted wildly from the copy's head and its eyes opened to reveal blue orbs like her own. The skin of the copy tanned to the same dark gold of her own skin. Avani was relieved to see clothes finally appear on the copy before any private areas became more defined. Her copy wore an elegant blue roman style dress edged in silver that flowed and moved in an invisible breeze. A golden circlet adorned her head. He looked up from his illusions and met her gaze, gauging her reaction.

"Flattering, I'm sure," Avani said, pausing. She wasn't sure what to say in this situation. "However, it ain't gonna happen. I'm no queen and certainly no ruler. There is no way I'd ever join you, since I'm quite happy with the life I have," she stated firmly, though she was a bit shaken by this inside. She had thought that he was playing with her but he seemed rather serious about this plan. Loki's eyes darkened like shadowed emeralds.

"I think you'll find that I am rather difficult to deny. I must have my Queen and you, my dear, are exactly what I need and what I want –"

She cut him off there. "No, I'm not. For one, I'd much rather beat the shit out of you than help you in anyway. Not to mention, I'd not only _rather_ beat the hell out of you, I'm quite capable of it." She ignored that he had overpowered her in the woods on their way back to the plane. That had just been because she had been unprepared. Right. Loki smiled at her words.

"See? You are perfect. You challenge me, with your strength and your spirit. You'll keep me entertained for millennia. You fit all of the criteria. Together, you and I will subdue and rule this world as gods. You will provide me with companionship and entertainment, you will give me a legacy," he paused. "We will have children, strong and beauti –" She cut him off again.

"Whoa, whoa! Don't you think you're getting a little ahead of yourself there, buddy? No way am I joining you and no way, _no how_, are we having kids. You're fuckin' nuts!" Avani snarled, threatened and a little freaked out by what he had said. What kind of a lunatic pervert was he? "I oughta press that big red button on the panel here and eject your crazy ass right out into the ocean. See how hitting water after falling 30,000 feet treats you. Hell, maybe I will just for funsies," she said, intending to make good on her threat. _We don't really _need_ this guy do we? We can locate the tesseract without him, _she thought. Avani stood quickly, walking to the control panel. Loki stayed seated, watching her sharply.

_Surely they won't let her actually try to kill me, will they? _he thought. _Well, I did want a challenge. Looks like I've found one._ As Avani approached the control panel, A voice boomed over the intercome system saying, "Avani Beauchene, please report to the command center, immediately." She recognized the voice as Fury's. Avani turned to face Loki, eyes burning with anger, her body tense with restrained violence. "Looks like you're gonna get off the hook. This time. Next time, I'm droppin' your happy ass right oughta here. They better put someone else on baby-sitting detail," she said, walking towards the exit. Loki could see in her body language that he had upset her. _Or scared her. Hawkeye told me that she was wary of men. Did I frighten my doe away? _he pondered her reactions. _Well, she'll warm to me. She just needs a little encouragement. But I don't understand. Hawkeye said she was regarded well by others and had quite a few friends, including Dr. Banner. Why is she so afraid of affection?_

Loki stood and resumed pacing his cell. He had much to think about. Hawkeye had little information on her past, beyond her age and a few battles she had participated in during the American Civil War. _Hmmm, a challenge indeed._

Avani took a moment on her way to the control room to breathe and get her anger under control. She shuddered at the promise and desire she had seen in his eyes. _Does he even know what he's suggesting? Any kids I have will be cursed – they'll be demons. I may be popular now, but things change. I could be regarded a monster and hunted tomorrow just because of my bloodline. How could I ever subject a child to that? Besides, I've no desire to enter any kind of relationship with anyone. Relationships are as confining as chains. It's better to stay removed from others, where it doesn't hurt me to lose them, where they are safer because my father won't hurt them to get to me._ Steeling her resolve, she continued to the control room, to what was sure to be a lecture on how she wasn't supposed to try to kill their prisoner and how she should be responsible and not be controlled by her anger and _blah, blah, blah_.

Sighing, she opened the door and walked confidently, head held high, into the control room. She noted that the entire team was arranged around the table with Fury standing at the head. The blonde guy, Thor, stood off to the side. On the table, screens showed a view of Loki's cell. As she came to sit at the table next to Bruce, the eyes of the other Avenger's on her, Loki turned and looked straight into the camera, as if sensing her gaze upon him. "What the hell was going on in there?" Fury said, looking at her.

"How the hell should I know? That guy's nuts. Shoulda let me get rid of him," Avani responded.

Dr. Banner chimed in here, saying, "She's right, that guy's like a sack of cats. You can _smell_ crazy on him."

"Hey, watch what you say," Thor said, his voice deeper and rougher than his brother's. "That is my brother of whom you speak."

Natasha looked up from the screen at this. "He killed eighty people in two days," she said, resting her head on a hand with her elbow on the table.

Thor looked a little sheepish at this. "He's adopted," he offered, almost as an excuse. The Avengers were silent.

"How desperate are you that you call on such lost creatures to defend you? A beast who makes play that he's a man, a soldier lost in a time not his own, a spy who will turn on you, a billionaire who pretends to be a hero, and a she-devil who must deny herself to please you? Are these your heroes?" Loki asked the camera, eyes seeming to focus on them as if he knew they were watching. As Loki spoke, Dr. Banner rose from his seat beside Avani to pace around the room.

Fury looked at the image on the screen, addressing Loki even though Loki could not hear him. "You have made me very desperate. And you might not be glad you did," he said quietly. Avani could see Fury shaking with anger at this reminder of the threat their world was in.

"He's right, though," Dr. Banner said, shifting uneasily from foot to foot. "We're not a team, we're a time-bomb. _I'm _a time-bomb."

"You're fine, Dr. Banner. I have the utmost confidence in you. I have no intention of putting you in a combat situation that could trigger the emergence of the Hulk," Fury said, looking Bruce steadily in the eye.

"Yeah? And what if I do lose control? You already rented out my room," Bruce said, motioning to the screen where Loki paced in his cell. He sighed, rubbing his hands through his graying dark hair. "Fine. Whatever. Let's get back to finding the tesseract," Bruce stated as he began to make his way back to the lab.

"Right," Stark said, standing to follow him. "Oh, and, _Kitten_? Try not to kill our prisoner, okay? Wouldn't want to off your king," Stark joked, winking and blowing kisses at her before hurrying through the door lest she retaliate. Avani swallowed a growl at his teasing. She was never going to live this down.

"Speaking of which, I want you to stay away from the guy from now on. He's got a plan for you and I don't want you getting involved with him," Fury said. Her head snapped up at his words.

"Surely you don't think I'm actually going to help this, this _asshole_!" she said, startled that Fury would think such a thing of her.

"No, no, but he is dangerous, as you said. I just don't want something to happen," Fury amended.

"Right," Avani grit out, still insulted. She stood and headed for the door, intending to go take a shower and catch a nap. She didn't have to put up with this bullshit.

_To be continued . . ._

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Wow, chapter 5 already. I was really motivated. Thank you to .dolphins for the review! I'm glad you find Avani likable. I'd like for her to be badass, but not annoyingly so. Some OCs can be too contrary and I don't want that to happen. Thank you also to the people who continue to put this story on their story alerts of favorites list. Well, since this is done, I think I'll go to bed. I have to take my Chihuahua to anger management training tomorrow. She's a little aggressive. Surprising from a Chihuahua, right? XD


	6. Chapter 6

Welcome again, readers. Also, a special shout out to Berianireth of Lorien in south Germany! That's a long way from where I am (Louisiana, USA). Thank you also to LostinParadies21, forgetmenotflowers, Gen3683icy6, and Berianireth in Germany for the reviews. I got a lot of reviews on chapter five! Looks like business is really picking up. Anyway, I'm thinking that Bruce is gonna have a bigger part in this chapter. Maybe a BFF chat with Avani? Not sure as of yet since I was thinking of this while half asleep last night. I also went back and fixed some typos I found in previous chapters and, you know, added a few words here and there. I can't believe I forgot to add in my favorite quote from the whole movie! Here it is = Dr. Banner: "That guy's like a sack of cats. You can smell crazy on him." Yeah, it's pretty awesome.

Well, I think we should have a cat quote now: "Long ago, cats were worshipped as gods. They have not forgotten this." All right, now I'll start the chapter.

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Chapter 6

Avani nodded to Bruce through the glass window to the lab as she walked to her room. He returned it a bit distractedly as he tweaked some scientific instrument. She smiled at this; he certainly did love science. She continued to her room, shutting the door behind her and locking it. She was eager to get out of the now grimy clothes she wore. Between fighting with Loki, flying through a storm, and getting bled on, her clothes were gross and those blood stains on her shirt were probably never going to come out. She stripped quickly, tossing her soiled clothes on the dresser, and went into the bathroom to take a nice, hot shower.

She sighed as she felt the hot water flow over her skin, erasing the dirt that had built up in the less than 24 hours she had been on the ship. She washed quickly and efficiently, figuring that water was probably a limited resource on the Fortress. She didn't have any shampoo or conditioner, so she just used the bar of soap in the shower to wash her hair. After rinsing, she stepped out into the steam filled bathroom and pulled a towel from under the sink. After drying herself, she wrapped her hair in the towel to dry and looked at herself in the mirror.

She was relieved to see that there were no lingering remnants of Loki's blood on her face though she still stubbornly scrubbed at imaginary traces. She then took the toothbrush out of its plastic wrapper and brushed the hell out of her teeth while using a copious amount of toothpaste. She carefully brushed her teeth, the inside of her cheeks, the roof of her mouth, and her tongue as best she could. She wanted the taste of his blood gone from her mouth, gone from her memory. Her inner demon still fought its chains, clinging to the sensorial memory that she was trying so hard to erase. Avani steeled her will and the cage that contained the monster. By the time she was done, her teeth gleamed white and shiny. Satisfied that the blood was well and truly gone, she removed the towel on her head and hung it up to dry on the towel rack. She then bent over a bit in the cramped bathroom and shook her head vigorously, shaking little water droplets from her hair.

She dressed in some clean clothes from her bag. Feeling much cleaner in a fresh set of clothes, she transferred her almost forgotten iPod into her cargo pants pocket and left to seek out Dr. Banner. As Avani walked down the hall to the lab, she noted that Dr. Banner had chosen the room beside hers, but her senses told her that the room was currently unoccupied. She continued to and then past the lab when she saw that Bruce wasn't in there. Currently, the only person in the lab was Stark. _Let's see, if I were Bruce, where would I be?_ she thought. _I would be somewhere secluded, where no one else was. A place where I could listen to the hum of machines was lulling, where the silence wasn't deafening._ Her face seemed to light up as the location of his hiding place occurred to her. She took a right into another hallway, following the scent of laundry detergent.

Bruce had told her, once or twice, that his mother had always taken him to the Laundromat as a child and as she did the laundry, he would hide behind the machines and think about what made them run as he listened to their humming and whirling. The buzz of the laundry machines had become a comfort to him, something that helped him relax and think, sort of like white noise. _A thing with this many people, the laundry area must be massive. It's perfect._ As Avani followed her nose, the hum of the laundry machines reached her ears. Upon reaching the laundry room, she asked a serviceman where the mattress and linen closets were.

"Look on the other side of the wall here, behind the machines, the closets should be there. You need fresh sheets or somethin'?"

"No, I'm fine, just looking for someone," she said as she walked away. She turned the corner into the hall behind the laundry room and, sure enough, there were a series of doors. She saw light shining under the door of the third one down the hall, so she walked over and took a sniff. _Spice, shaving cream, and pencil shavings . . . yep, he's here._ Gently, she rapped on the door before opening it, not wanted to startle him. As she opened the door, she saw that he had taken up residence on a small stack of mattresses, about 3 high, to the left of the door. In front of the door, he had laid 2 mattresses on the ground, creating a cushioned fortress, not unlike the ones children build with pillows.

Bruce had a small notebook with him that had a few different equations (Avani thought that was what the series of letters, numbers, and symbols was, but she couldn't be sure) and a pencil that he placed behind his ear as she walked in. "Not interrupting, am I?" she asked, smiling at him. He smiled back, his chocolate eyes warm.

"Not at all. Um," he looked around at the small closet. "Please, come in," he said, gesturing to the seat beside him. Avani carefully removed her combat boots, not wanting to dirty the mattresses, and sank into the seat next to him. She surveyed the tiny room.

"Quite a little set up you've got here. All we need now is milk and oreos," she said.

"I doubt Fury would allow a luxury like that on this ship. They didn't have any dessert in the cafeteria earlier," he replied, laughing a bit at her childish desire for sweets.

"Yeah, well Fury is a wet blanket," Avani stretched her arms out above her head and allowed the wave of motion to flow down her body as she stretched her legs and pointed her feet. She settled back down, slouching against the wall. Bruce put away his little notebook and looked at her, studying her face intently. It startled her to see how his hair was turning grey where it had once been a wave of dark, dark brown. His face had aged some over the course of his stay in India, lines appearing where there had been none before. He continued to study her.

"What?" she asked finally. "Do I have something on my face?" _I was sure I got all of the blood off._

"Loki's scared you, hasn't he?" Bruce asked, cutting right to the point. He wasn't one to beat around the bush.

She scoffed. "C'mon, Bruce! You know I'm not scared of anything. I'm a demon! What do I have to fear?" she laughed and punched him jokingly on the shoulder. His face remained serious as he looked her in the eyes. They stared at each other for a moment. The silence stretched between them as the rumble of laundry machines filled the air.

_silence . . ._

_ silence . . ._

_ silence . . ._

"Okay, fine!" Avani said, holding her hands up in surrender. Bruce _always_ won their staring contests. He smiled at her defeat and waited for her to continue. "He freaked me out a bit. Can you blame me? He's crazy!"

"Yes, he is crazy, but not for the reasons you think," Bruce responded cryptically, turning to face the wall in front of them.

"What do you mean?" Avani asked, turning more fully towards him. Bruce sat in silence for a moment, nervously looking at his hands.

"He is crazy because he's convinced himself that he deserves you," Bruce said quietly, glancing at her face to gauge her reaction. "He's crazy because he thinks he deserves you even though he doesn't love you, doesn't know you." Bruce turned more towards her, looking her in the eyes and then taking her hand. He looked at her hand in his, seeming to marvel at how her delicate, tan hand looked so light and small in his large one. Avani looked at him but did not attempt to pull away.

"Bruce . . ." she said. He looked at her face and then returned his attention to her hand. He held it so gently, as if she were made of glass and may shatter if handled to roughly. The idea may have been funny in another situation.

"I know. It would never work because I'm mortal, because your father would come after us. But I suppose I can still count myself lucky," he said, now looking her steadily in the eyes, his dark brown eyes sparking with an emotion that she had only now identified. It was the look she saw in his eyes sometimes, when he thought she didn't know he was watching, when he returned to himself after the Hulk was unleashed and saw her waiting for him. He held her hand in both of his, encompassing it sweetly, gently. "I've met the love of my life. I know that. Not many people can say the same. And I get to spend time with her and be close to her, more so than anyone else."

"Bruce," a slightly desperate expression crossed Avani's face. "I'm sorry." _I've gotten closer to him than I ever should have. He's going to die someday, hopefully a long time from now, and I'm going to still be here. Like always. Alone._

"It's not your fault," Bruce responded. He almost regretted bringing this up. The look on her face was as close as he'd ever seen her come to looking like she was in pain. Considering the hits he had seen her take, that was saying something. "I understand. You've had to shoulder centuries alone because you always outlive the people you love, but, Avani? You don't have to bear everything alone. It's okay to feel things. It's okay to feel scared, to love someone. It's okay to be close to people. You deserve to be happy, no matter who your father is."

"But he has hurt the people I love to get back at me before. He could – "

Bruce cut her off, saying, "I know that, but I don't think there's much he could do to hurt me." He smiled at her, eyes twinkling. "I know that you can't love me the way that I love you," It shocked her to hear him say those words so easily. "But that's okay. I just wanted you to know. That I do love you." His speech became hesitant and he looked back down at their conjoined hands.

"I love you, too, Bruce. I love you like a brother. You're my closest friend. . ." Avani said, following Bruce's gaze to their hands.

"I'm glad. This won't . . . make things strange between us?" He asked, glancing back at her face. He gaze was pleading, for approval, for affection.

"Of course not," Avani replied, smiling.

"Good," Bruce replied, before pulling her into a sudden and strong hug. His arms encircled her, pulling her close as he rested his head on her shoulder. Her chin rested on his shoulder and she inhaled his spicy and comforting scent. Uncertain, she slowly wrapped her arms around him as well, despite the way her instincts screamed that she was in danger, that if he could touch her, he could hurt her. "You know, you'll have to get over this aversion to touch eventually. If you come visit me in India, the children will be all over you, wanting to touch your hair. They've never seen white hair on anyone. Most people don't live long enough to develop white hair in Calcutta."

"Yeah, we'll see about that. What's going on in the lab?"she asked, turning the conversation away from the uncomfortable subject of her aversion to physical contact.

"Tony and I have gotten the supercomputer scanning for traces of the gamma radiation that is produced by the Tesseract. Unfortunately, that takes a while," Bruce paused and he considered his next words. "We think that S.H.I.E.L.D. may be hiding something. That thing Loki said about some 'warm light for all mankind' . . . The Tesseract is the ultimate power source. What is to stop someone from turning it into a weapon? It has such potential . . . a literal universe of energy packed into a 3 by 3 cube."

"I don't know if Fury would be on that, but there are plenty of people who would use it as a weapon. While it is amazing that it could be used as a clean source of energy, Stark's already got the market on that. I'm not sure if that kind of power, regardless of the benefits it could have, belongs in the hands of _anyone_," Avani said. There came a lull in their conversation, a comfortable silence. Avani noticed that they were sitting very close together after the surprise hug that Bruce had initiated. Bruce, seeing that she was beginning to perhaps become uncomfortable, pulled her close to him, coaxing her into relaxing into the cove of his arm. She consented. _I haven't been this close to someone in . . . in centuries. _

Bruce sighed, enjoying the contact. _He probably hasn't been this close to anyone for a while either. He's so afraid his other half will come out and hurt someone that he tends to keep people at arm's length, like I do._ As they sat there, enjoying each other's company, Bruce's phone rang. "Hello? . . . The scan's done? . . . Yeah, I'll be right there," he said into the device. Avani's sharp hearing picked up Stark's voice. Bruce hung up and a little grudgingly removed his arm from around her and got to his feet. Avani reached for her boots, quickly putting them on and lacing up. "Tony's found what S.H.I.E.L.D. has been hiding. He said we should come check it out."

"Alright, let's go then," Avani said, already exiting the closet. Together, she and Bruce proceeded to the lab. Upon entering, Stark motioned them over in a "come hither" gesture.

"Check this out," Stark said. "This is what they really want the Tesseract for, those crazy bastards." He pulled down a clear computer screen that showed a diagram for what looked like a really big gun that the Tesseract was supposed to power. At this time, Natasha came in, followed by Director Fury and Thor.

"What the hell are you doing? You think we wouldn't notice you breaking into our files?" Fury said, standing defensively, legs spread apart the width of his shoulders, arms crossed in front of his chest. Thor stood off to the side, seeming content to watch the show. Avani observed the newcomer, taking in his long blonde hair and slightly scruffy beard. He was muscular and huge! Taller than Director Fury and broader across the shoulders. He was dressing in old school armor and carried his ever present hammer in a loop on his belt. Captain America burst through the door, drawing Avani's attention, and glanced angrily at Director Fury before slamming a large case on an empty stainless steel table.

"Something you want to tell us, Director?" Rogers said, a little peeved that he had not been informed of this. "Why are you building a weapon like this? Is this why you want the Tesseract back? What gives you the authority to possess this kind of weapon?" An argument broke out among the other Avengers and Fury. Avani saw that Natasha, naturally, took Fury's side, while Bruce, Stark, and Rogers were clearly in opposition. This didn't really matter to Avani. Honestly, once the world was saved, it would be a simple matter of hiding the Tesseract. Hell, she could take a weekend and hide it herself where no human could ever reach it again. Thor laughed at their bickering. His voice was deep, his blue eyes mirthful.

Chuckling, he said, "You people are so _petty_ . . . and tiny." At this, a silence fell over the room. Avani could have sworn that Fury rolled his eyes at this.

Roger's continued, saying, "Phase Two is all about using the Tesseract to make weapons! I thought you brought us together to save the world, not bring you a weapon!"

Director Fury puffed up at this with anger. "Phase Two isn't about you. It's about_ him_," he said, pointing an accusing finger at Thor.

"Me?" Thor seemed appalled to have been put front and center into the argument.

"When the arrival of a visitor from another world confirmed that we are not alone in this universe, people got worried," Fury said.

"Our race means no harm, only peace!" Thor said defensively, puffing his chest out and leaning forward a bit.

"But you're not the only race out there! We couldn't remain unprepared for visitors of your strength and my superiors didn't want to rely on someone else to save out asses, so I was told to begin Phase Two," Fury replied sharply, making an excellent point. _He's right. We _aren't _prepared to deal with beings from another dimension. As it is, humans still stand at the bottom rung in terms of power. But then, they've only had each other to compete with until now, _she thought. The atmosphere of the room was still tense and they were all left simply looking at each other, trying to determine where to go from here. At this moment, the monitor in the corner of the room beeped and the screen shifted to show a narrowing map of the world.

"Hey," Bruce said, walking to the monitor. "We have a lock. The Tesseract –"

He was cut off as the world was seemed to explode around them. Avani felt her body automatically respond to the change in environment, her demonic characteristics making themselves known as she was blasted through the large window at the back of the lab and one of the many engine rooms below. She tried to twist in the air, to land on her feet and break her fall, but managed only to turn sideways when her body hit railing. She couldn't help the gasp that escaped as the steel rail bit into her ribs, breaking a few on the side that took the brunt of them impact. Her head met a steel wall as the rest of her body continued to move through the air. Bits of shrapnel and glass rained down on her from the lab above, cutting her. She tasted coppery blood in her mouth as her world darkened, becoming hazy around the edges before being totally consumed in darkness.

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_To be continued . . ._

There's chapter 6! Was that too mushy between Avani and Bruce? It was kind of sappy. . . oh well. He's so cute, kind of like a puppy that you just want to cuddle. Anyway, let me know what you think. By the way, that scene with the argument in the lab was really hard to create. Finding quotes for it was a pain! Thanks for reading!


	7. Chapter 7

Welcome back everyone! Thank you to Andaie, Outlay-Lanaya, Loki-lover-r-us, FrankIeroIsMyHero13, and Dontgotaclue88 for the reviews! They were very encouraging. By the way, Dontgotaclue88, your comment really struck my funny bone. Thanks. So, I've got a second commission to design a tattoo, which is really exciting, and I might even be getting the hook up on a cool job, which is even more exciting! In other news, my Chihuahua is progressing well in her anger-management lessons. She is steadily becoming less vicious, thank God. . . Here's a quote!

"Money can't buy you happiness but it does bring a more pleasant form of misery." – Spike Milligan. Sounds like something Tony would say.

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Chapter 7

Avani bolted up, growling a bit as she felt pain sharp in her side. She was momentarily confused as she woke but her memories quickly returned to her. _The explosion . . . we're under attack? We're under fuckin' attack! Who the hell had the balls to come attack the frickin' flying Fortress?_ She lurched to her feet, using the slightly bent steel railing to propel herself upwards. Her left hand clutched her right side where she felt the broken ribs grinding and popping against each other. _It's always the ribs. Why is it always the ribs? _she thought, exasperated. She held still as the bones fitted back into their places and her body healed, cuts disappearing, leaving only little trails of blood in their wake. Breathing a sigh of relief, she removed the knife from her thigh and retrieved one of the knives from the inside of her boots.

She ran, half crouched, along the walkway, opening her senses to the chaos around her. She heard shouts from many areas throughout the ship, as well as the tell-tale spatter of gunfire. Her nose took in the acrid smell of smoke and scorched metal, as well as the scents of people who had used this walkway. The smell of blood engulfed her senses. Deciphering the barrage of scents, Avani picked up a scent she knew well, the smell of spices and pencil shavings. She locked on to Bruce's scent, following it across engine rooms and maintenance shafts. As the smell became stronger, she heard the Hulk roar. Speeding up, she turned down another hallway to see Natasha being pursued by the large green monster. Natasha lunged up some stairs, but the Hulk was in fast pursuit. She saw him finally catch Natasha and throw her into a wall to the side of the stairs.

_Crap._ Avani ran towards a pile of debris, stuffing her knives into one sheath and grabbing a piece of steel railing that had been blown to bits in the explosion. She took the pipe and began swinging it wildly, hitting it against the metal walls and tanks that filled the room. _Clank! Clank, Clank, Clank!_ "HEY! JOLLY GREEN GIANT! COME OVER HERE SO I CAN PUT A DENT IN YOUR BIG, GREEN SKULL!" Avani yelled, shaking the pipe. "YEAH, YOU, UGLY! COME AND GET IT!" she screamed. Those angry green eyes turned on her and the beast snarled at her challenge. _The other guy is totally in control right now_, she thought. As he charged towards her, she swung up onto the tops of the tanks, crouching low and hauling ass across the room. She heard the crash of metal against metal as the Hulk swung a fist along the line of tanks, busting them open. Steam and gases hissed out angrily. _I really hope those aren't important for anything,_ she thought, looking back at the damage. She looked ahead and saw that she had hit the end of the line. Thinking quickly, she dropped to the floor and charged back at the Hulk. This seemed to catch him by surprise and he hesitated, giving her the crucial half a second she needed to crouch low and dive past his legs.

As Avani took off, she found herself being pulled backwards by a crushing grip on her ankle. _Damn. He's quicker than I remember._ She was pulled up, hanging by an ankle facing a very green, very angry Hulk. She reacted immediately, swinging her body up and scoring his wrist with her claws. He howled and dropped her, clutching his wrist. She smiled triumphantly, stretching out her hand in front of her and summoning her magic. Her magic blended with some of the blood on her hands, locking on to the Hulk. Avani slipped into the space in her mind where she felt nothing, where physical stimuli and emotions had no sway, and froze the Hulk in place. He fought against her, his spirit raging even though his body no longer could. She closed her eyes and concentrated on holding him, fearing that her control may slip. _I have to hold him in place until Bruce comes back. Otherwise, we could find ourselves repelling invaders AND fighting the Hulk. The others will have to handle everything else._

She took a deep, steadying breath as the Hulk struggled violently against her control. _1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, exhale. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, inh – _

_Click, click._

Avani's eyes snapped open as metal encircled her wrists. She felt her spell over the Hulk break as her magic disappeared, leaving her feeling empty. She felt her power fade, her wings and tail receding painfully. She felt weak, weaker than she had ever felt before. She looked up to see Agent Barton, his eyes glowing unnaturally blue and bloodshot, clinging to the pipes above her. He leaped to the side, dropping to the floor beside the destroyed canisters, and grabbed hold of the chain that connected the cuffs on her wrists. Behind her, the Hulk roared, discovering his newfound freedom. Terror shot up her spine as she was pulled quickly down the hall and around corners by Clint. She fought his grip but realized that even if she managed to pull out of his grip, the Hulk would still be chasing them. _What the hell are these fuckin' cuffs?_ He continued to pull her, the Hulk in hot pursuit. As they ran down the hallway, Thor appeared in a doorway, hammer in hand.

"Where are you go-?" he asked, before turning to see the giant green man chasing them. The Hulk also noticed Thor, focusing on him instead of the two fleeing targets. Avani heard the sound of a body crashing through walls as the battle ensued. But soon the sounds faded away as Clint dragged her down the corridor. _Is this how humans feel? How do they sense anything with these dull senses?_ Now that the Hulk was no longer chasing them, she tried to stop, but Clint continued to pull her steadily in the direction of Loki's cage. As the door to the containment room came into view, she resorted to desperate, if childish, measures. She sat heavily on the ground, throwing her weight into the movement. The sudden stop jerked Clint around. He turned towards her sharply, his face vacant of expression.

Using this opportunity, she pulled him down, attempting to kick him in the stomach. Unfortunately, she was still unused to the feel of her body, to the lack of strength and speed, and Clint easily dodged to the side, jerking her up by the wrists. She dropped down, hands pulled into the air, and swept his feet out from under him. She managed that, but Clint recovered quickly. He lunged at her, efficiently removing her knives and throwing them down the hallway before grabbing her sides and throwing her onto his shoulder. Avani gasped as all the air left her lungs as his shoulder dug into her stomach and chest. He gripped her legs, stopping her from kicking him, and continued towards the door. She beat his back with her fists, wiggling and thrashing to try to free herself. His quiver limited her movement. Getting an idea, Avani brought her hand to the top of the quiver, trying to pull an arrow loose but she found that the arrows were locked into place. She struggled harder as she heard the door open and he carried her into the containment room.

As Clint turned to go to the control panel, Avani saw Loki standing eagerly in front of the door to his cell. He smiled as she tried rolling off of Clint's shoulder, chuckling a bit at her antics. Clint tapped in the code to open the door to Loki's cell and the door slid open smoothly. Loki stepped out of the cage and stretched out his arm. Avani heard the distant clank of metal on metal, the sound growing steadily closer. Finally, the scepter zipped into the room, flying right into Loki's hand. "You didn't think my dear brother was the only one who could do that, did you?" Loki asked, walking towards them. Clint leaned down, almost throwing her off of his shoulder at Loki's feet.

She leaped to her feet, her body in full fight or flight mode. Aiming a quick punch at Loki's nose, she tried to push past him on the walkway only to find herself jerked back by a steely grip on her arm. "Agent Barton, wipe out their information center and take their computers offline," Loki said, pulling her back in front of him. "Then return to the helicopter."

"Yes, sir," Clint said, reacting and obeying the order immediately. He unslung his bow from his back and drew an arrow from his quiver and ran to the door. As he turned the corner, Avani turned her attention back to Loki, glaring at him and trying to pull out of his grip.

"No, no, no, now that I've caught you, there is no way I'm going to let you go," Loki said, his voice soothing. He paused, cocking his head to the side, hearing something her now human ears could not pick up. "I do believe my dear brother is going to join us. Delightful. You'll have to be quiet for this part, dear, or you may give away my game to him," Loki continued as he lifted the scepter and pointed it at the cage. A replica of him formed, created by an illusion that made it look as if he were only just escaping. Loki brought his hand up and covered Avani's mouth, silencing her as she attempted to warn Thor of the trap. Thor burst into the room just as Loki's copy stepped out of the containment cell. The copy upon seeing Thor, crouched down, bracing for impact.

"LOKI!" Thor shouted as he leaped to tackle his brother. Of course, what he was tackling was an illusion, which he passed right through. As Thor hit the ground in the cell, Loki activated the locking mechanism at the control panel, shutting Thor inside.

"Are you ever _not_ going to fall for that?" Loki asked his brother, amused at Thor's gullibility. Loki wrapped an arm around Avani's shoulders, gripping her chains and effectively holding her in place.

"Release me, brother!" Thor shouted, striking the cell with his hammer. He created only a few cracks in the thick glass.

"Certainly, brother. Have a nice trip," Loki said, smiling as he hit the large red EJECT button on the panel. Loki watched his brother disappear through the chute under the cage, his face smug. Avani took this opportunity to slam her left heel down onto his right foot and bite down sharply on the hand that covered her mouth, hoping against all odds that he would let go. He didn't. Loki hissed a bit, returning his attention to her. "You little viper! Can I not trust you to behave for even a second?" He asked her, his expression fierce. He pulled her closer to him and ordered her to release him. She refused, shaking her head a bit and biting down harder, just barely breaking the skin. Avani knew that he could easily make her now that her powers were gone, but it was the principle of the matter. Seeing her game, Loki laughed a bit at her defiance and brought his mouth to her ear, holding her closely, intimately. Even with her dulled senses, she could easily discern his scent, a sharp mix of pine forests and the bite of a winter wind. His breath tickling her ear, an area that she hadn't even known was so sensitive. Avani felt tingling in her stomach and heat rising in her face in what could only be a blush. Loki whispered, his voice low and husky, "Let me go, little one, or I'll bite back." He yanked on her gray shirt, baring more golden skin, and brought his mouth to her shoulder, lips ghosting across her flesh. She continued to hold on, but she stilled warily, unsure of him. He pressed his face into the crook of her neck and shoulder, inhaling her heady scent of vanilla and warm air. Selecting the perfect spot to leave a mark, choosing a place on her neck which would be difficult to hide, he pressed his lips firmly to the spot. Then he opened his mouth, preparing to bite down on her shoulder and leave his mark upon her.

Avani quickly released his hand, leaning as far away from his mouth as she could. To her dread, he followed her movement. "Nah, ah, ah. You waited too long. Now you'll have to deal with consequences," Loki said, lusty green eyes finding her large blue ones. He pressed his lips to her neck again before baring his teeth and biting her firmly, careful not to break her skin. Then he sucked, abusing her skin. Avani's body trembled and she realized, to her horror, that her body thought the potent mix of pain and pleasure felt _good_. She gasped and struggled against him as he finally ceased his attack on her neck. "Was that so bad? Unfortunately, we'll have to end there, for now. Come, we need to get to the helicopter," he said, gripping her arm gently, but firmly, and pulling her with him towards the hallway.

As he pulled her into the hallway, he propelled her forward easily, quickly stopping any attempts to escape. She listened hard for any indication that someone may be around to help her, but she heard no one, only the screech of alarms as the ship pitched to one side, indicating engine failure of some kind. She stumbled a bit and Loki reacted quickly, letting go of her arm to slip his arm around her waist and steady her. She struggled, acting purely on instincts at his closeness but he did not relinquish his hold on her. "Careful, I wouldn't want to damage my prize," he said, eyes roaming as he led her up a staircase to the top of the Fortress. She saw a helicopter waiting, manned by men wearing nondescript black vests.

At this sight, it really hit her that he was about to _kidnap_ her and take her to an unknown area while she was currently helpless to fight him. She through an elbow back at him, wildly, pushing and punching to try and break his hold and escape from him. She landed a few solid blows, but they did little good. Loki quickly pinned her arms to her sides and picked her up, carrying her in his arms. "Let me go!" she snarled. "You don't want me, trust me! I'm really quite boring, you know! I'll bore you to death!" Avani was disgusted to find herself pleading, but this was a last ditch effort. Since fighting wouldn't work, maybe convincing him that she was useless would.

Loki stopped walking, midway to the helicopter, and looked down at her. His eyes sparked. "Challenge accepted," he stated, continuing to the helicopter determinedly.

"Fuck you! That wasn't a frickin' challenge, you son of a b – "

He cut her off there, faking shock, saying, "What _filthy_ language. Whatever will I do with you?" He laughed at her shock and indignation, his smile lighting up his face. Loki carried her into the helicopter, efficiently strapping her into a seat with her hands pinned to her lap. As he took a seat next to her, his eyes flashed a shocking blue, like Clint's eyes had been and the eyes of the others who served Loki. He recovered quickly, ordering his soldiers to take off. They obeyed without hesitation, closing the hatch in the back of the aircraft as the pilot fired up the rotors. Avani watched desperately as the helicopter took off, staring back at the Fortress. She could see smoke rising from an engine to the side of the Fortress and another engine seemed to have failed as well. The large aircraft was descending, trailing smoke. Avani spotted Ironman, working on the smoking engine, trying to get it to run again, but soon the Fortress disappeared from sight as the helicopter turned.

Loki ordered the pilot to take them home, wherever that was. He then turned to her, taking in the trails of blood that still decorated her skin from the initial explosion. He looked down at her restraints, "Are they hurting you," he asked, seeming actually concerned for her well being.

"As a matter of fact, they are. You should take them off," she replied, raising her eyebrows expectantly at him. Her crystal blue eyes shined.

"Good try, but you know I cannot, will not, do that," he said, allowing a small smile to grace his face.

She studied the cuffs, noticing the strange markings that had been etched into the smooth steel sides. "Where the hell did you get these, anyway?"

"It just so happened that Agent Barton knew that S.H.I.E.L.D. had been developing these. He was able to retrieve them for me," Loki said, watching her carefully.

"These were created by S.H.I.E.L.D.? That can't be right, why would they do something like that?" She demanded. "You're lying!" she accused him, glaring at him suspiciously.

"How else would I have obtained these? They were designed to hold you, no doubt in case your other half took over. Of course, they also work just as well on you in your normal state," He said. "Perhaps these humans are not as trust worthy as you would like to believe." He laid a hand on her thigh, comfortingly stroking her. "You can trust me, my dear. I have told you of my intentions."

"Yeah, but you're a trickster and you're threatening the world I love. You're the last person I can trust. Not to mention that you're a frickin' pervert," she bit out sharply, aware of his attempts to persuade her.

"How you wound me! That sharp tongue will get you in trouble one day, kitten," he said, his eyes darkening again, turning a darker and deeper green. His eyes were sharp and predatory.

"That a threat?" she asked, suspicious of him.

"Not at all. Consider it a promise, to my future queen," he responded, smirking at her. His hand climbed higher up her thigh and he was amused to notice that the higher his hand went, the redder her face turned. _Who would have thought that conquering the earth would be not only glorious, but fun as well_, he thought, grinning wickedly at her reaction.

_To be continued . . ._

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Well, what do you think? Read and review, because I want your opinion! Also, Things might get a little steamy in the next chapter, so be ready. By the way, the "You little viper!" comment? I was totally listening to Phantom of the Opera while writing this. Now you know my secret. I'm also kind of fond of the "challenge accepted" deal. Anyway, like I said, let me know what you think!

P.S. I'm really cranking these chapters out, aren't I?


	8. Chapter 8

I feel like welcoming y'all is getting rather repetitive. Maybe I'll mix it up a little with a big ol' WASSUP! Well, obviously, this new chapter is up. I've been working hard (pfft, yeah right, no can find job) all week, and still have managed to deliver this. Thank you, Savysnape7, for the review and CAPLOCK THANKS TO DONTGOTACLUE88 AND LOSTINPARADISE21, WHO ARE REPEAT OFFENDERS AND HAVE COMMENTED TWICE BECAUSE THEY ARE OBVIOUSLY AWESOME. Oh, and sorry that this chapter didn't get very steamy. Just didn't work out that way. Alright, I'm sorry, I'm done. Here's a quote:

"We share the same sky, but we do not share the same horizon."

Anyway, here it is! Wait, let me turn my music down. Can't think if it's too loud. . . Okay, let's do this.

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Chapter 8

Loki continued to slowly slide his hand up her thigh, wondering how red Avani would turn before she attempted to do something about his invasion of her personal space. She stared determinedly straight in front of her, ignoring him steadfastly. _This just won't do,_ he thought. _I suppose I'll have to step up my game._ He removed the hand from her thigh, not missing her sigh of relief. Avani's relief was short lived, however, because Loki wrapped that arm around her shoulders, pulling her close to his side, and resumed his exploration of her leg with his other hand. He was close enough to her now that she could feel his breath on her ear and the warmth of his body against her. She broke her staring contest with the wall, choosing to face the opposite direction of where Loki sat, clearly communicating her desire for him to _back_ _the hell off!_

Once again, Loki did not heed her hint, only growing more determined as he allowed his hand to climb higher up her thigh, nearing her danger zone. She whipped her head around, finally paying attention to him, her face tomato red, "Do you fucking mind? Most guys at least buy me a drink before trying to grope me!" Avani growled out, glaring at him furiously.

"Yes, well, I suppose those boys would need to get their date drunk or else they would never catch a woman. I, however, have no such need as I have already caught you. Perhaps if you would not ignore me, I would respect you wishes more," Loki said, looking at her meaningfully, an eyebrow raised.

"I'm paying attention now, so you can back off now," Avani said, glancing sharply at his hand and pressing back against the arm around her shoulders.

"Hm, I'm quite comfortable, actually. Don't you enjoy cuddling? I am rather new to the experience, but I do find it pleasurable," Loki replied, continuing to hold her close but obligingly moving his hand from her thigh to his own lap, though his fingers still brushed against her leg.

"I don't, as a matter of fact," Avani said, cheeks puffing out a bit in annoyance. He couldn't help but notice how cute she looked with her cheeks puffed in a classic expression of childish displeasure. "I don't like cuddling."

"Really?" he said, looking at her darkly. His feature seemed to shift subtly as his expression darkened. His pupils dilated, making his eyes look almost as black as his long dark hair. A razor sharp smile formed on his face, sending a chill down Avani's spine. "You seemed quite content to snuggle with that _beast_ in the linen closet." She looked up at him, startled. "Oh, did you think I wasn't aware of your little clandestine meeting with the good doctor?" His voice was husky, anger and jealousy lacing his tone. "Or of his heartfelt confession of love for you?"

"How do you know about that, you bastard?" Avani said, her voice low. She was unsettled that he knew and scared for Bruce. Would he hurt Bruce for this?

"Do you forget, dear, that I am a sorcerer? I kept a check on you after you left me. When I sensed you entering that laundry closet, I thought it odd, so I looked in on you. And what did I find but that _thing _holding you, and you so willing to be held," Loki sneered, anger showing clearly on his face. His face seemed transformed by his fury, eyes gleaming, lips baring his teeth ever so slightly. And then, as quickly as the emotion came, it went. His sneer melted away, replaced by a small, strained smile. "Of course, I know that he is no threat to me. He is too gentle, too yielding for you. You would tire of him quickly and break his poor, little heart," he said, calming down quickly.

"Dr. Banner is a wonderful man," Avani defended, daring Loki to say otherwise.

"Yes, I dare say he is a wonderful _man_, but he would be too perfect for you. Too kind, too understanding, too loving, too gentle. No, I think that you desire someone who can overpower you, someone who will _dominate_ you," he said, his breath caressing her cheek. She was again painfully aware of just how close he was. She could feel herself beginning to blush again at his words.

"I disagree. I don't want someone like that," _I don't want someone like _you, she thought.

"Of course you say that. But let me ask you this. How often have you met someone who really challenged you, who could actually beat you? How often have you met someone who can hold his own against you?" Loki asked, gazing into her eyes. _Such a stunning shade of blue_, he thought. _They are entrancing_.

"I have yet to meet anyone of that description," she said stubbornly, a smirk on her lips as she insulted him. "Only little boys who pretend to have such power. At least Bruce puts up no pretense of that."

"Little boys, hm?" Loki's eyes lit up, apparently enjoying her banter. _Damn you, Loki, you're not supposed to like it!_ "I'm not surprised you would have trouble identifying a man, having spent so much time dealing with _boys_. Fear not, dear, I'll teach you the difference," Loki said, nibbling on the shell of her ear. He chuckled as Avani tried to jump out her seat.

"Gah! Why do you have to be so frickin' creepy?" Avani yelped, freaked out by his advances. She had met some pretty forward bastards, but really? It was all the worse because she couldn't just get rid of Loki and she couldn't get away from him. Her heart beat harshly in her chest, hammering against her ribs in borderline panic. Loki's reply was cut off as the helicopter began it's descent.

"Ah, we're here. I think you'll enjoy your new home, kitten. We may be fugitives, for the time being, but that does not mean we cannot live in the lap of luxury," Loki said, motioning towards the windows of the aircraft that showed a stunning view of the ocean. She figured that the sun must be setting by now, but she could see the sunlight shining from behind her, above her head. _We haven't been flying that long. We must be on the east coast. _Her eyes widened as it hit her where exactly they were. _How did we miss that his base of operations was in AMERICA?_ She was snapped out of her thoughts as Loki unclipped the belts that had her strapped into the chair. He took her arm again, placing her hand in the crook of his elbow as the chains of her cuffs encircled his arm. He then rested his other hand upon hers, behaving every inch the sophisticated gentleman that she knew he wasn't.

He led her down the ramp at the back of the aircraft. Looking around, she noted the landing pad they were standing on and a natural stone path that led to a massive house. _Mansion, more like. Well, one thing can be said for Loki. He does things with _style. It was a grand building. The home was supported by huge roman columns made of flawless white marble. As they neared the front door, Avani looked up, noticing the large chandelier that hung above the entrance. A man, his eyes glowing that unnatural blue that marked him as a servant of Loki, opened the front door for them and then shut it behind them. The inside of the house was as grand as the outside. The front doors opened into a foyer with two large staircases on the sides that led to the second story.

Directly before them was a fountain made of dark grey granite, topped with a merrily burning fire, combining the two elements into a work of beauty. Loki waited, patiently allowing her to take in the details of the room before her, from the royal crown molding to the delicate carvings on the banister of the staircases. He smiled a bit at her awe. "Surely you have seen grander places than this?" he said, letting his curiosity come to light. She was wealthy in her own right, and having lived for over two centuries, she should be used to such luxury.

"I've seen pictures of places like this and shows on tv, but I've never actually _been_ in a mansion. When I leave home, it's usually to hunt terrorists and mass murderers and they are never hiding in mansions. Usually, they're huddled in a hut in the jungle somewhere or holed up deep in mountains where the conditions are less than ideal," Avani glanced sidelong at Loki, her gaze mistrustful. "Where's the family that lives here?"

"Happily staying in the guest house, until I need them to buy something for me. You didn't think I killed them, did you?" he asked, joking. Her silence stretched between them as she simply looked at him with an eyebrow raised. "You truly think very little of me," he said, looking hurt, holding his hand to his heart dramatically.

"You're such a diva. The last time I checked, you'd already killed 80 people and who knows how many more since then. You haven't exactly got a golden record," Avani said. "In fact, I'd say that almost proves that you are a psychopath. You show no remorse over killing people and only keep certain people alive because they can be useful to you."

"Still stuck on that, are you? Well, never you mind. There's plenty more house to see, come along." Loki was smiling again as he led her through the house. "We have 12 bedrooms, 8 bathrooms, two large kitchens (one for us and the other for our chefs), a formal dining room, a home theater (as the humans call it), and a magnificent pool," Loki said as he showed her to the kitchen that opened to a huge living space. The place had a modern look to it, sleek and sophisticated. Dark stained cabinetry was complimented by stainless steel appliances and white marble counter tops. The living room looked out on the backyard, containing a huge pool and an outdoor cooking and living area. It was an HGTV wet dream.

Avani flinched as a butler seemed to appear behind them. With her dulled, human senses, she hadn't even known he was there. It was so foreign to her to be snuck up on. Usually, nothing escaped her notice but these handicaps left her feeling like she was shut off from the world around her, like she was trapped in a fog. "Master, the item you requested arrived while you were out. Where would you like me to put it," the butler, a balding man in his fifties, asked, voice monotone.

"Place it in our room, on the nightstand," Loki responded, looking eager that whatever was in the plain box the man held had arrived. The butler strode down the hallway to the left of the room, disappreaing from her sight.

"What do you mean 'our room'?" Avani asked, becoming more than a little worried. She dreaded his answer.

"Naturally, as my queen, you will be accompanying me to bed. _Our_ bed," Loki stated smugly.

"Wha - ? I'm not you're frickin' 'queen'! You've got, what did you say, 12 bedrooms here? I'm not sharing with you! Get your own fucking room!" Avani snarled indignantly. She growled at him, rather thankful that even in her human state her vocal cords could make the threatening sound, like the rumble of a large cat. Unfortunately, Loki didn't find it threatening at all, if his laughter was anything to go by.

"My dear, I think you forget that you are not in charge!" he said, tapping her nose with a long, slender forefinger before patting her head condescendingly. Avani scowled. "You are my queen, certainly, but you are also my prisoner until I can trust you to behave yourself. This means that I will control," he stepped closer to her, the hand that had been patting her head winding in her short hair before grabbing a firm hold, "every aspect of your life, every scrap of clothing you wear, every bit of food you eat, every inch of space that you can call your own, until you convince me that you can be trusted to make appropriate decisions for yourself." He looked down into her eyes, holding her gaze firmly. She stared back at him, unwilling to be stared down by some jackass with a god-complex, but she found she could not hold out. The intensity in his bright green eyes made her look away, cutting her gaze to the side. "Have I made myself clear?" he asked, already knowing the answer but enjoying watching her squirm. Her body language, the way she tried to hold her arms close to herself and glanced down nervously, edging away from him, told him that yielding to someone was new to her and she didn't know how to deal with it, how she was supposed to react. _She'll learn in time_, he thought. _As I told her, I can be a kind and merciful god_.

"I expect an answer, love," he crooned, carding his fingers through her white blond hair. He marveled at the silkiness of it, making a note to make sure she allowed her hair to grow out.

"Fine," Avani bit out, grudgingly. Loki decided to let her tone slide, this time. This was a very new experience for her so he would cut her some slack.

"Now, why don't we go see our room?" Loki asked, though the question was obviously rhetorical. Avani looked down, hating herself for going along with him. She didn't let herself make excuses for her behavior because when it came down to it, he had won that battle and she had let him. _But the war goes on_, she reminded herself. _And I intend to come out the winner_. They entered a large hallway lined with doors to the left of the living room, leading to the left wing of the house, following the hallway to the end before turning left and climbing a spiral staircase to the second floor. This led to another long hallway lined with even more doors. Loki opened the first door they came to on the left, facing the back of the house and the ocean. The door opened to a huge master suite with a king-sized bed, a sitting area with a large tv and fireplace, and a door to the left that she assumed led to the bathroom. The room was decorated in warm reds and beiges and golds. The wood floors were covered with rugs which felt soft under her combat boots.

Loki closed the door behind them, locking it and then sealing it with his magic. She winced at that. That was one method of escape cut off. Noting her worried glance, Loki tried to soothe her, saying, "This is merely a temporary precaution. I will remove it soon." He released her hand, allowing her to move away from him and explore the room. She made a beeline for the windows on the pitiful pretense of getting a better look at the ocean though she was really checking the material that the glass was made out of. _Bullet proof. Damn. Who the hell puts bullet proof glass in a home?_ She noticed that Loki's magic, which he must have made visible for her, coated the latches on the windows also.

Avani then went to investigate the bathroom, which was ridiculously decadent. A large glass shower stood in a far corner next to a huge bath (big enough for four people) made of the same white marble she had seen throughout the house. The bath had a first class view of the ocean, though Avani wasn't exactly sure about bathing wear it would be so easy for someone outside to see you. On the wall nearest the door she had entered were his and hers vanities (again, white marble). All of the fixtures in the bathroom were gold, giving it a royal feel. She opened the door on the final wall, the one closest to the hallway, and found that it led to a good sized walk-in closet. Everything was very organized with women's clothes on the left and men's on the right. She didn't look much closer than that though.

When she re-entered the bedroom, she noticed that Loki had opened the package on the nightstand and was fiddling with what looked like a remote. It beeped, apparently indicating something good because Loki grinned and slipped it into his pocket before turning his back to her to mess with some other item. Avani drew closer to him quietly, curious to see what he had. He continued to ignore her (or be unaware of her) until she was about a foot away. She blinked as he disappeared, her nerves not reacting quite fast enough for her to realize that he had teleported (behind her, she assumed), slowing her enough that she was unable dodge to the side. He grabbed her around the waist and threw her on the ground, her head bouncing off of a well-placed rug instead of the hardwood floor.

Loki then knelt on top of her, legs on either side of her arms, effectively pinning them, as he sat on her chest. She struggled wildly, growling and yelling insults at him because she knew that nothing good was going to come of this. "Now, now, dear, calm down. This won't hurt a bit, it is merely a precaution to make sure that you, my lovely pet, don't run away from your master," he said as he encircled her neck with what felt like soft leather. She heard something click into place and tighten down until it fit snugly against her skin. He messed with it a bit more and the thing made the same beep that the remote had. Loki stopped, admiring his work and got off of her, offering her a hand to help her up, his other hand slipping something slyly in a pocket. She ignored his hand in favor of lunging up and away from him, her hands flying to her neck. What she felt there was cold, unyielding metal.

"Is this a fucking collar?" She asked, outraged.

"Well," he seemed to consider his next words carefully, debating whether or not to lie. "Yes. Yes, it is. And I've locked it on to this room so that it will not allow you outside of here without my permission. This way," he said, lifting his magic from the windows and door, "I don't have to worry that you may escape if I'm not here to keep an eye on you."

"I can't believe you put a fucking collar on me! What kind of sick bastard are you?" she demanded, raging.

"You'll get used to it. Of course, if you want to continue to complain about it, I can have a tag of ownership made for you. It can say something along the lines of 'Property of Loki.' What do you think?" he asked, threatening her with further humiliation. _If the other Avengers find out about this, I'm done. I'll have to move to a small, cut off village in the African Congo and live the rest of my days in shame, _she thought, imagining the jokes Stark would make at her predicament.

"I think you should know that should you try to escape, it will shock you a bit, only enough to knock you back in the room, and alert me. I won't be happy and you will be punished for attempting to get away," Loki said, looking matter-of-fact. She just stared at him, looking sort of shell-shocked. _Fuck my life._

_To be continued . . ._

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Well, there it is. Wow, it's really cold in my room. I'm going to bed. Good night, y'all. Read and Review!


	9. Chapter 9

Greetings, earthlings. I am still wary of addressing you the same way in the beginning of every chapter so I guess I'll have to get creative. I have come to the realization that I can't really promise you guys steamy or funny chapters or anything because beyond a basic plot, I've got no clue what's going to go down in each chapter. They just kind of happen. I'll try my best though! Thank you to Mya Croft, AwkwardImagination, Loki-lover-r-us, BirdSnowSong, Outlaw-Lanaya, and Dontgotaclue88 for the reviews! You guys rock, especially you, Dontgotaclue88. I'm not sure if I'm up to quote time today, but since I've done for the last eight chapters, I'm going to stick with it:

"When I quote others, I do so in order to express my own ideas more clearly." – Michael de Montaigne.

P.S. Is it sad that I get uber excited every time my phone goes off because I'm hoping it's another review?

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Chapter 9

Avani continued to stare at Loki is disbelief. "Don't you think you're overestimating me? I don't have my powers with these cuffs on. What the hell am I supposed to do with a normal human's strength? I can't even bruise you!"

"This is true, however, from what I have been told, you are quite the _creative_ troublemaker. I will not lose my queen because I failed to keep a close enough eye on you. So, you will stay here, safe and sound and out of trouble, unless I let you accompany me elsewhere. Naturally, that will require good behavior on your part," Loki said. His eyes had a calculating look in them. "Agent Barton made it quite clear that, from your past escapades, you must be monitored closely, something that even S.H.I.E.L.D. has difficulty doing when you don't want to be found."

_Gggggggrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr_.

Avani moved farther away from Loki, turning her back on him and clutching her stomach, an expression of utter horror and dread on her face. _Oh god, please, just shut up, just this one time and I promise that as soon as I get out of here you can have as much food as you want,_ she thought desperately to her stomach. _Please, please, please, please, please! _Once she was sure that her stomach wasn't going to growl again she turned around to face Loki, who was struggling to contain his laughter. "Hungry, kitten?" he bit out, a genuine smile on his face, his eyes sparkling with amusement.

"I'm fine," she said, scowling a bit.

"Of course you are. Well, when you're ready to admit that you're ready to eat, I have ordered a large dinner to be served at 8 o'clock. That gives you a few minutes to get cleaned up," he said, motioning toward her blood stained and ripped clothing. Getting a good look at herself, she realized that the initial explosion had done more damage than she had though. Her cargo pants were ripped up and blood stained. Her shirt hadn't fared any better. Upon seeing the damage her clothes had sustained, she suddenly felt grimy and dirty, especially compared to Loki. His clothes were still perfectly clean, bronze armor shining. He looked so regal, standing straight, long black hair pushed back, green eyes glittering mischievously.

"Fine," she said, walking to the bathroom. Once she was a few feet from the bathroom door, she lunged inside, shutting and locking the door quickly behind her, just in case he followed her. She could hear him chuckling in the other room and felt childish which really only pissed her off even more. She knew that he could easily take down the door or teleport inside, but the locked door still gave her some measure of privacy and protection. She walked to a sink, looking at herself in the mirror. She could see trickles of blood that had dried on her face and arms and she was covered in smoky smudges.

Avani opened up a cabinet by the shower and grabbed a wash cloth. She ran some tap water, waiting until it was hot before soaking the cloth and scrubbing herself clean. It wasn't much, but it made her feel a lot better, at least until she noticed something on her neck. She leaned closer to the mirror. _What is that?_ she thought, as she scrubbed at the little darkening oval on the side of her neck. It dawned on her what it was when it only grew red under her determined scrubbing. _That's a fucking hickey! How dare he, that, that, UGH! _She stopped washing up, clean except for the Loki-induced blemish on her neck. Unsure what to do with the wash cloth, she left it in the sink. She checked the clock in the bathroom and noted that she had another ten minutes or so before dinner. Seizing the opportunity, she leaned in close to the mirror and looked at the collar, twisting it this way and that to get a good look at it.

The collar was made of slender a shiny silver metal. There was a little ring on it to attach a tag to. _Or a leash, _she thought, _but I really don't want to go there. _The collar was slender and delicate looking, only about the width of her pinky, and dotted with tiny sapphires. _What the hell is this? There is no way that this was meant for a dog and Loki didn't really have time to have this manufactured. Did he buy this somewhere?_ She continued to twist it around, looking for the catch on it or a lock, whatever kept it locked around her neck. She growled softly, frustrated, when finally the light hit the collar just so, showing a small keyhole. _Score!_

Excited, Avani climbed up onto the counter to get as close to the mirror as possible. _Yeah, that's definitely a keyhole. That must have been what Loki was sneaking into his pocket after he put this on me!_ She smirked. _I'll show that bastard. _Avani hopped off the bathroom counter, running on quiet feet to the closet. She ran into the closet and checked the clothes hangers, her mood quickly deflating when she saw that the clothes hangers were made of fine wood, not wire. _Damn rich people._ A search of the closet turned up nothing that she could use to pick the lock, not even a sewing kit. _Okay, okay, so there's no wire in here. Where else can I find wire?_

She didn't have a chance to finish her train of thought because a knock sounded at the bathroom door. "Time for dinner," Loki said. She responded, saying that she was coming out. Upon opening the door, she saw Loki looking pleased.

"What?" she said, irritable about the hickey and about not being able to find the lock-picking tools she needed. He smiled, assuming that she was still upset about collar.

"I thought I might have to drag you out. I am glad to see that you are, if not coming around, then behaving," he said, coming over to take her by the hand. She blushed a bit at the contact, his hand warm. He pulled the remote for the collar from his pocket, pushing a button that apparently allowed her outside of the room. Hand in hand, they walked to the dining room, delicious scents filling the air. Avani could feel herself start to drool at the smells. Apparently even in this altered form, she needed more sustenance than most people.

Avani was led to the formal dining room through a massive archway. It was an opulent room with a long table, sitting at least thirty people. A fourth of the table was filled with dishes and plates, the food ranging from a small pot of stew and a tray of fresh fruit to steaks and chicken with pasta. The smells were now so intense, even to her dulled human nose, that she could have died happily. The scents reminded her sharply that she hadn't eaten for hours and she was ravenous. She tried to get Loki to let go of her hand so she could go eat, but he pulled her back to him. She looked at him in confusion.

"Don't I deserve some gratitude for arranging for this feast in your honor?" he asked, smiling a bit at her.

"Kay, thanks. Can we eat now?" she asked, hoping that that would appease him. It didn't.

"Nah, ah, ah. I deserve better than that, I think. I did, after all, take time out of my planning to ensure that my pet would be well fed," he said, raising an eyebrow expectantly.

"Not your pet," Avani muttered, looking down and away from Loki. She looked back up at him, eyes suspicious. "What do you want, Loki?"

"Only a token of your affection, my dear. A kiss would suffice quite nicely," he said, smirking, eyes half-lidded. He drew her closer to him.

"A kiss? Just a kiss?" Avani looked skeptical, having expected that he would ask for something more serious than that. She was relieved he hadn't. Not that she wanted to kiss him, right? _Right. Why would I want to kiss him? Who cares if he's hot? I don't. And I don't want to kiss him, _she convinced herself. She looked at his eyes and almost gasped as her heart seemed to be doing somersaults. Her heart felt like it was jumping around, beating unevenly. The feeling excited her and worried her. _Why do I feel like this? Is this what's it's like to have a heart attack? It definitely _feels _like my heart is attacking me._

She braced herself, ready to bite the bullet and get this over with. She couldn't help blushing at what she was about to do. _When was the last time I kissed someone?_ She asked herself, unsure of the answer. Avani had to stand on tiptoe to get close enough to try to plant a small kiss on his smooth, pale cheek. She gasped indignantly as Loki quickly turned his head, causing her to kiss him on the lips. She maintained the contact for a second, long enough to say she had met his terms, before trying to pull away. Loki wrapped his arms around her, one around her waist, the other hand coming up to cup her head as she tried to escape him.

He marveled at the softness of her lips and the chasteness of her kiss. Looking into her startled sapphire eyes, he closed his own emerald ones, enjoying the kiss. He parted his lips, nibbling on her bottom lip, begging entrance. She tried pulling back again, realizing what he was doing, and opened her mouth to tell him to back off. He seized his chance, tongue entering her mouth and enticing her own to come out and play. She tried to push his tongue out of her mouth with her own tongue, which only spurred Loki on. He held her tight against him, her hands resting on his chest, the fight going out of them with every passing second. Finally, she needed to breathe and he released her.

Avani gulped down breaths of fresh air and Loki allowed her to step away from him, smirking smugly at her silence. _I have left her _speechless_,_ he thought, noting that kissing was an apparently effective way of stopping her from talking. She turned to look at him and he saw a flash of annoyance in her eyes at his smug look. He couldn't help but notice how adorable she looked with the flush on her cheeks and her lips a bit swollen from his affections. She brought a hand to her lips, wiping them roughly as if to scrub the poison of his touch from them.

Loki walked towards the table, apparently done tormenting her for the moment, and motioned for her to serve herself. He picked up one of the two empty plates, the one at the head of the table, and began to serve himself. He delicately cut a chunk of steak for himself, adding a dinner roll and a small cup of stew. Avani picked up the other plate, to Loki's left, and began to follow suit, though she shamelessly heaped her full of food, claiming a full steak, a few drumsticks, and another cup of stew. As she served herself, the butler returned bearing a bottle of wine on a tray and two wine glasses. He brought the bottle to Loki for his inspection.

"Yes, that should do nicely. Serve us," he commanded, taking a seat at the head of the table. The butler quickly set the glasses down on the table before Loki and her assumed seat. He removed the cork from the bottle, pouring the wine smoothly into Loki's glass. Avani protested as he went to fill hers as well.

"I don't drink," she said, indicating that her glass should be taken away.

"You said that I would be allowed to – how did you put it? – 'grope' you once I bought you a drink. I have met the requirements," Loki said, motioning to the wine glasses. "Do I get to 'grope' you as much as I want now?" he asked, his expression hopeful.

"No! And I don't drink anyway, especially not in the company of an enemy," she retorted, taking her seat. She had considered sitting at the other end of the table, but she figured that Loki would just make her sit next to him anyway, so she took the seat that was obviously meant for her. She almost laughed at Loki's disappointment, unable to keep the smile that crept onto her face. He smiled softly in response, enjoying her happiness, however small and brief it was. They ate in silence, Avani tucking into the food at an astonishing pace, though Loki thought she ate a little slower now than she had that morning.

Loki sipped his wine elegantly, eating his food with excellent manners. Avani did manage to spread her napkin across her lap before digging in, though she did not bother with cutting the meat into bite-sized pieces before eating it, as Loki did. As Loki helped himself to a second plate, she helped herself to a fifth serving, indulging in the desserts that were scattered at the end of the table. She had a piece of pumpkin pie, a serving of tiramisu, and a handful of delicate artisan chocolates. She found herself becoming thirsty now. She had been able to stave off thirst by eating fruit with the main course but now that she had gotten to the chocolates, she finally gave in and sipped the fine red wine.

It complimented the chocolate well, and she was surprised to find that the wine was sweeter than she had expected. Usually she didn't drink simply because she didn't like the taste of alcohol, but this stuff was good. Of course, in her normal state, with her incredible healing abilities, she couldn't get drunk. Couldn't even get a buzz, which kind of eliminated any reason to drink when she didn't like the taste. She indulged herself, finishing the glass, but when Loki went to pour her another glass, she refused, requesting water instead. Loki called the butler in, and relayed her desire to him and she was soon brought a tall glass of ice cold water.

A thought struck her then, making her feel a little sheepish. "You would have given me the water earlier, wouldn't you?" she asked, turning to Loki as she struggled to poke in the last few bites on her plate.

He smiled, devilishly. "Of course. All you had to do was ask and you would have received," he answered, sipping a second glass of wine. He had finished and sat back, relaxed and at ease.

She picked up her glass of water and pointing at him. "That kind of pisses me off, you know," she said. She sighed as she finished the last bite of pumpkin pie, leaning back. She patted her stomach in wonder as she noticed that it was a little swollen and she marveled at the feeling of being completely full. "Is this what it's like to be full? I feel like I'm going to blow up," she said, poking her stomach. Her pants felt a little tight after the meal.

"I guess you don't need as much food with those cuffs on. You mean you've never felt full before?" he asked, curious. He had assumed that when she stopped eating while guarding him, she was full.

"No, I'm always hungry. I told you I was like a black hole. I just kind of learned to gauge exactly how much food I needed over the years and deal with the hunger. It's not so bad when you get used to it, though after getting full, it's going to be hard to go back to being hungry all the time," Avani said. She was still in awe of actually _not_ wanting to eat anymore. Loki was silent, contemplating about her answer. Now full, Avani felt a wave of exhaustion sweep over her. Running from the Hulk and dealing with the emotional rollercoaster that Loki had put her through had taken a toll on her.

She wasn't sure what the weariness she felt was at first. Her limbs felt heavy, her eyelids even heavier. She yawned, eyes watering a bit. She blinked quickly, trying to refocus on the present. Loki noticed this and stood, walking behind her to pull her chair out. He insistently offered his hand to help her out of her seat and she found herself unable to refuse. As their hands touched, Avani felt a tingle run up her arm, waking her up a little bit. She looked at him sharply.

"I just sent you a little shock of magic. You look like you're about to fall asleep on your feet," he said, holding on to her hand. "I think it's your bedtime."

"What do you," she paused, yawning and rubbing her eyes with her free hand, before trying again. "What do you think I am, a little kid?" she asked, offended. He smiled as he looked into her sleepy blue eyes.

"If you can't tell when you're about to drop, then I suppose I will have to put you to bed like a child," he responded. Avani noticed how soothing his voice was to her ears. His voice was deep and smooth. Hypnotic, even. She allowed him to continue to lead her by the hand back to the bedroom. When the door opened, all she could think about was climbing into bed and going to sleep. She couldn't remember ever having felt so tired before. She was so exhausted, she didn't even think about the fact that Loki had said they would be sleeping together.

Once in the room, she tried to make a beeline straight for the bed, but Loki pulled her into the bathroom and entered the closet. "You need to change before you get in bed. You can bathe tomorrow but I'm not going to let you sleep in the bed in those clothes. Those should be burned," he said, eyeing her shredded attire with distaste.

"Whatever," Avani said, trying to head out of the bathroom. "I'll sleep on the couch."

"No, no, no," Loki said. He opened a drawer on the woman's side of the closet, pulling out what appeared to be sleeping clothing, judging by the moon and stars print on the silky pants and shirt. They looked to be around Avani's size, so he handed them to her. Then he tapped the chain that connected her cuffs, making it disappear, leaving only the bracelts that trapped her power behind before leaving the bathroom and shutting the door, granting her privacy to change. After he closed the door, she heard her collar beep, indicating that he had reset the perimeters, preventing her from trying to escape into the hallway. She rolled her eyes at this.

She sighed tiredly and slowly pulled her shirt off over her head, holding her breath as she noticed how much it smelled like smoke and God know what else. She tossed the soiled shirt into a clothes hamper in the closet. She decided to sleep in her bra because she would hate for Loki to burn that if he followed through on his threat to burn her old clothes. As she went to unbutton her cargo pants before she remembered something. Avani's hand flew around to her back pocket, patting it. She could have jumped up and down in excitement as she pulled the slightly scratched iPod, with earphones, out of her pocket. She turned it on and hit play on a random song, breathing a sigh of relief that at least something was working out for her. _I can't believe you still work iPod, but let just say that I am so glad you do!_

Avani went to the man's side of closet, remembering seeing an armband for carrying an iPod while exercising. She dug it out and fit her iPod into the pocket before setting it down on a shelf and continuing to take off her pants. These followed the shirt into the clothes hamper. She strapped the iPod onto her calf. She quickly put on the silky pajama pants and checked to make sure that he iPod would stay hidden from Loki. Finished dressing, she went to the sink and dug out an unused toothbrush. She popped it out of its packaging and brushed her teeth before rinsing her mouth with water. Avani then exited the bathroom. Loki stood on the other side of the room, looking through some books on a book case.

When she stepped out, he entered the bathroom, apparently getting himself ready for bed. Avani made her way to the bed as quickly as her heavy legs would carry her, choosing the side closest to the bedroom door as hers. Reaching the massive bed, she threw the decorative pillows on her side off and pulled back the thick covers. She crawled in under the sheet, lying on her left side so that she could keep an eye on the bathroom door. She couldn't here Loki moving around on the other side besides the sound of the sink running occasionally, but that didn't surprise her. A few minutes later, Loki reentered the bedroom, clad only in a pair of green boxers. Avani looked away, though not before she caught sight of his toned chest and abs and his strong shoulders.

She rolled onto her other side, facing the wall and door to the hall, determined not to look at him or think about how, uh, fit, he looked. She heard him remove the throw pillows on his side and pull back the covers before she felt the bed dip down on his side. He snapped his fingers and the lights in the room went out, leaving them in the dark. In bed. Just the two of them.

Every time Avani felt him shift in the bed, she tensed, her heart pounding. "You know, you have no reason to fear me dear," Loki said. Avani jumped a little as she felt a large, warm hand on her shoulder. She didn't feel quite as sleepy anymore as adrenaline pumped through her veins.

"Who said I was afraid," she retorted, sounding braver and more bad ass than she felt. "I just don't like sharing."

Loki laughed in response. "Then why are you so tense?" he asked, his hand moving soothingly along her arm, squeezing gently here and there.

"Because. I. Don't. Like. SHARING," Avani bit out, trying to get as far from him as the bed would allow.

"You'll have to get used to it. I can't have my queen getting cold in the middle of the night. You should come snuggle me," he said, his voice light and playful.

"Not even a snowball's chance in hell of that happening," she said, voice flat and matter-of-fact.

"We'll see about that," Loki responded. Avani didn't like the sound of that. When she felt the hand on her arm wrap around her waist, she tried to vault out of the bed but she couldn't break his grip. She kicked as she felt herself be pulled towards the middle of the bed, towards _him_. She kicked at him as she felt her back come into contact with his firm chest. His arm was like iron around her, unmoving in spite of her to get away. He chuckled at her attempts and tangled his legs in with her to stop her struggling. Finally tired, she gave up, remaining tense in his arms. He rubbed her side and her hip soothingly, waiting until he was sure she wouldn't try to get away before rubbing her shoulders. As he felt her relax, he moved up against her, enjoying how perfectly her small body fit against his. He buried his nose in her hair near the crook of her neck.

At last, he heard her breathing even out as she fell asleep, unable to keep her guard up. She had looked so tired earlier and he wondered at how strange things must be to her having to deal with such human conditions. _She'll adjust_, he thought, settling down to sleep himself. He wasn't tired per se, but he felt so relaxed with her warm body against his that he thought he would indulge himself in a nap before continuing to put his plans into motion. _I could get used to this_, he thought as he drifted off to sleep, inhaling her delicious scent and feeling the softness of her hair. _I could get used to this very easily._

_To be continued . . ._

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There it is! Chapter 9. Seems like a pretty long chapter but I had quite a bit that I wanted to get into this installment. What did you think? This chapter was a little more about Loki being romantic and Avani trying to resist his super special awesome charm, but the next chapter should get pretty exciting. As always, let me know what you think. Reviews encourage me to write more!

P.S. doesn't Loki kind of strike you as the overly affectionate type? Like he was starved for affection as a child?


	10. Chapter 10

Hello, fellow multi-cellular organisms. So I went back and re-read chapter 9 (I try to re-read my chapters to catch any errors and correct them) and I realized that I didn't explain how Avani was able to change clothes while she had the cuffs and chains on. Well, I fixed that, but just in case you didn't know, Loki made the chains connecting the cuffs disappear so that Avani's powers were still contained, but she could then move normally without having to deal with chains. Thank you to Andaie, LostInParadise21, Cavazza, and Dontgotaclue88 for the awesome reviews! Here's a fun-fact, just for the hell of it: When I write these chapters, I'm usually listening to the Phantom of the Opera (some movie or other), Lion King (broadway), or Cats (broadway movie) soundtracks.

"'If there's one thing the history of evolution has taught us, it's that life will not be contained. Life breaks free, it expands to new territories and crashes through barriers, painfully, maybe even dangerously but . . . life finds a way.'" – Ian Malcolm from Michael Crichton's _Jurassic Park_. And yes, this is a very appropriate quote for this chapter.

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Chapter 10

Avani opened her eyes. She was met with a bright moon casting light down upon the bayou before her. She drifted in a small skiff, with only a lantern attached to the front. Her clothing was that of a commoner, a rough pair of homespun breeches and a too large shirt. She wore no shoes. Avani recognized the place around her, the foggy swamp that was eerily silent, as a true swamp never would have been. She lifted the pole that appeared in the skiff and began to quietly push the boat through the bayou, taking certain offshoots and distributaries with practiced ease. No alligators splashed as she poled by, no herons took flight in her wake. If there were frogs in this place, they were silent. She traveled for hours, it seemed, before she finally came upon a dark grove of gnarled camellia trees. A sense of foreboding hung over the grove, a feeling of dread that she had long since become accustomed to. As the skiff bumped into the shore, she stepped out, leaving the pole and boat behind, and continued to the grove. As she approached, she stopped a few feet shy of the underbrush, watching sharply for movement in the vegetation. The silence was deafening.

Avani didn't flinch as the figure appeared before her, as if out of thin air. It tried to strike her, a wild blur emerging from the underbrush, but it was jerked to a stop by the chains that bound it into place. Avani looked into the vicious bloodshot blue eyes, devoid of warmth, taking in the delicate and aristocratic features of the captive. Its skin was golden tan, but it looked perpetually silver under the harsh light of the full moon above them. The creature's snow white hair was long and wild, unkempt and frizzed slightly by the humidity. From its head protruded two long horns made of blue flame and a tail tipped in the same fire lashed behind it. As always, Avani found herself feeling slightly ill at the sight of her.

Or rather, at the sight of herself. The creature that stood before her was who she would have been – who she _should_ have been – had she not sealed her true self away centuries ago. It was hard to say which of them was real – the one chained before her who had a claim on the body she held or herself who possessed that body and locked away this beast, the embodiment of her darkness, her hate. The creature stood, eyes burning with hatred and fury, fighting its chains.

"I see that the binding upon you has not weakened," Avani said, masking her discomfort behind a mask of indifference. The beast snarled and growled.

"No!" It growled. "The cuffs that bind you bind me as well. How did you allow this to happen to us? How could you allow us to be captured like weaklings before a godly suitor?" It demanded, baring long white fangs. Long, sharp claws slashed the air near Avani's face, missing by inches.

"I don't have to explain myself to you; you are a monster, a captive of this maze of bayous and inlets. I will find a way to release us from these cuffs and then destroy them so that they can never be used against us again. That is all you need to know," Avani said, looking around the grove. She walked, checking the perimeter for damage. The guards on the demon inside of her could not be neglected lest they weaken. The demon followed her, its walk smooth and silent, like a panther stalking its prey.

"I could release us from them. These cuffs contain you only because you bear only a fraction of my strength. They were not made to handle the force of _true_ power," it hissed, trying, and failing to coax her into releasing it from its prison. Avani finished walking the perimeter in silence, satisfied with the upkeep on the bindings that kept the demon trapped within this dark crevice of her mind. The demon, frustrated by her silence, growled, "You cannot keep me here forever. I will escape, eventually, and you will take my place in this maddening hell."

"You won't escape. Even if you broke your chains, you would get lost in this swamp. It changes constantly, a labyrinth of waterways leading to different memories, different times. You may find your way out eventually, but not before I find you trapped within a particularly painful memory, one that not even a devil like yourself can handle," Avani answered, face serious.

The demon smiled, its expressions so primal, so animalistic, on its humanoid face. "You survived them. I have no doubt that I can do the same," it purred. "After all, I was born to receive and deliver pain and suffering. It is my job, my life, my one love. I am not a weakling, as you are."

"Perhaps. But there are things that will break even a devil. Memories that haunt me at night, that wake me in a cold sweat. Memories that hurt so much I wish my heart would stop beating so I could no longer feel, images that burn in my mind, branding me," Avani paused, fighting off the recollections that struggled to resurface. "I survived those things, but I did not emerge unscathed. Should you face them, you would not either," Avani said as she walked back to the boat, stepping inside. The demon watched her, face furious again. It howled in fury as she poled away, a sound of fury and hatred. Avani ignored the howl, ignoring the lonely one it fell too as she continued pole away. As she went, she felt the swamp around her change. The water dried up, being replaced with cracked, flat desert. The moon sank below the horizon as a sun rose. The sun was too large, too hot, for the sky that held it. The skiff disappeared with the lingering humidity of the swamp.

Avani gulped, her mouth suddenly dry as she was left standing in the overbearing heat of the hellish sun. Her shoeless feet burned on the undisturbed sand beneath them, blistering quickly. She heard a sound behind her and she turned sharply. A man stood before her, much taller and larger than she was. He could have been her brother, looking at his blue eyes and golden skin as well as the devilish blue horns that graced his head. His white hair was long and pulled into a low ponytail. A small white goatee accented his chin. His blue eyes were piercing, seeming to see straight into her mind, into her soul. "Daughter," his voice boomed. He was unaffected by the heat, seeming very much in his element. "Why do you continue to fight me? Here I have brought you into the care of a proper man and yet you shun him as you have shunned me," Lucifer said, coming forward to take her hand in his. His touch was awful, burning and blistering the skin of her hand.

Avani ignored the pain that shot up her arm, saying nothing as the smell of burning flesh filled the air. She could feel her body healing the damage as quickly as it was done, creating an appalling cycle of destruction and regeneration. Lucifer walked her deeper into the desert, a mirage rising in the distance. She saw a beautiful kingdom rising from the sand, encrusted in gold and royal blues. It grew, larger and larger, spreading all the way around them across the horizon. Her father kept walking her towards it, though it seemed to grow no closer. "You have brought me nowhere, Lucifer, as you are bringing me nowhere now. Loki does not serve the likes of you," she said, preparing for the sharpening pain that would follow her defiance.

It came, a wild fire that grew from their conjoined hands, climbing up to lick at her arms. She couldn't help the sweat that rose on her brow from the strain of maintaining an indifferent expression. "He is serving my purposes. Is that not serving me, just the same?" he said, daring her to argue. She rose to the challenge, unwilling to be cowed.

"Loki is not like your twisted slaves. He does not enjoy causing pain. He lashes out against the world around him because he hurt, and because he hurts, he wants others to hurt with him, like him," Avani replied. Her free hand tightened into a fist as the flames continued to spread. The ground before her sprouted knives, crooked and wicked. Her father continued to lead her towards the palace in the distance, over the blades that sliced and pierced her unprotected feet. The knives sliced her feet to ribbons, her blood pouring out on the sand. Some pierced her feet all the way through, forcing her to carefully lift her foot straight up lest the blade slice back into her foot. She ignored the pain steadfastly, receding into that state of mind where physical feelings ceased to be real, that place where she could rest from her father's torment.

Lucifer watched her struggle for a moment, silently admiring her steel will. This was why he had chosen her, in spite of her defects. His sons would be lashing back at him or cowering from him if forced to endure the treatment he put her through. They lacked not only her magical and physical strength, but also her inner strength. They did not have her ability to bear anything and everything and continue on. Lucifer was no fool. He knew that she did not cower because she did not want to appear weak and that she did not fight back because she knew she did not have the strength to win. And yet, her endurance made a louder statement than retaliation ever would have.

"You are like me in many ways, daughter. More like me than any of my sons, even my heir. If only you would stop your crusade upon me, your own father, your flesh and blood," he sighed. "I suppose the problem is that you are _too_ like me. That drives you to rebel against your creator, whom you should love."

"I don't care that you created me. I don't feel that I must be your slave because of that."

"I gave you your power, your strength – "

Avani cut him off, saying, "Too bad you also gave me your lack of respect for 'authority'."

He turned, punching her in the upper stomach, his patience worn thin. Avani could feel her sternum shatter and her ribs break as she was sent sailing across the desert. She skidded over the cracked and burning earth. She felt more bones break with every impact with the earth. Finally, she came to a stop, her mangled body bloody and broken under the burning sun. Her father appeared, standing above her from where she lay face up in the sand. He pressed a heavy boot to her chest, pushing the broken fragments of her ribs into her lungs. She choked on her breath, the pain overwhelming. However, as the pain became unbearable, she saw her father disappear.

As her consciousness in the dream faded, she felt the pain fade, the burning of the sun and sand and fire being cooled and soothed. She panicked for a moment, thinking her father was tricking her, lulling her into a false sense of security. He never left her like this, never allowed her to really, truly rest. Finally, she calmed, allowing her awareness to drift into healing, restful slumber.

Loki wondered what had cause Avani to suddenly tense so much again as they slept, her breath coming fast and labored. One moment she had been fine and they had both been asleep, and then she tensed, fisting her hands and biting her lip as if in pain. He hugged her closer to him, murmuring soft words in her ear and petting her head in what he thought was a comforting manner. He had never comforted someone before, so he wasn't really sure what to do. He rubbed her tense back, stroking her shoulders, before slipping his hand into hers. She squeezed his hand in an almost painful grip and clung to him, her body shaking. He could feel her heart thumping in her chest, a panicked beat. She whimpered a bit, eyes screwed shut against whatever horror invaded her dreams.

Slowly, under his ministrations, she calmed, breath slowing again and body relaxing. Her grip on his hand lessened, though she continued to hold it, seemingly comforted by the presence of another. At last, he thought she would be okay, so he settled back down to sleep. He would have two get up in another hour or two, but for now, he just wanted to be next to her. The feeling was strange to him, a surge of protectiveness that reared at the thought of whatever plagued her returning while he wasn't there to hold her, to comfort her. He had never felt the need to eliminate the suffering of another, not unless it would serve his purpose in some way, but when he thought about Avani, proud and strong and clever and beautiful Avani, suffering such pain and terror alone . . . _What is this feeling?_ he thought, drifting back into slumber.

Avani awoke slowly, bit by bit becoming aware of the world around her, of the soft sheets, of the comfy bed. She started awake, forgetting for a moment where she was, and was surprised to find Loki gone. His spot on the bed was still somewhat warm so he couldn't have left too long ago. Looking at the clock on the wall, she noticed that it was nearing 8 o'clock in the morning. As she got out of bed she panicked, noticing that the iPod band was gone. She searched the bed, tearing the sheets apart looking for it, before she noticed the empty band sitting on the nightstand over a note. The note read:

"Good morning, Kitten. I trust you have awoken feeling well and rested. The butler will be delivering your breakfast at eight o'clock. Unfortunately, I will be unable to join you, so you will have to amuse yourself. Do not try to escape, it will only get you punished, so do behave. I will see you in a few hours.

-Loki"

Avani snorted at the idea of her keeping out of trouble. As if. She was getting out of here TO-DAY! Before lunch, even! She'd show that overgrown bastard. The fact was, she was feeling great, ready to take on the world – or save it, really. A knock sounded at the door and she rose to answer it, thinking, _It's go time_. The butler wheeled in a cart of breakfast food on paper plates. Most of it was finger food, though a plastic spork had been provided for her use. _Where did they find a Tacobell spork in a place like this?_ Avani approached the butler as he attempted to leaving, asking, "Will you bring up buckets of ice? I wish to have an ice bath."

"The master did not say anything about heeding your requests," the butler answered, confusion flashing across his face.

"I want an ice bath! Do you want me to tell Loki that you have neglected me?" she said, threatening him.

"No, no. I will bring the ice up," he responded, looking panicked at the idea of disappointing his "master".

"Good. Fill the bath tub up with it. Then you can go," she said, turning to the cart full of food. As the butler left, she grabbed a pitcher of orange juice and picked the bowl of fresh fruit from off the cart. She also grabbed the pint of yogurt. All the items were cold, probably fresh out of the refrigerator. Quickly, she ate them, watching the butler run back and forth, dumping buckets of ice into the bathtub. She could feel her core temperature drop ever so slightly as she ate the cold food, downing the pitcher of ice cold juice. She sat on the couch, under an air conditioning vent, letting the cold air wash over her. Finally, when the butler had filled the bath, she told him to leave and not to return unless given specific orders by Loki to do so.

She shivered as she stripped down, standing bare before the bath of ice. _If this works, if inducing slight hypothermia makes my magic spike to save me, I'll be able to see what Loki's doing. Depending on that, I can decide what to do from there. But, damn, it's cold._ She stepped up to the bath and held her breath, deciding to just jump in. She stepped into the ice, sinking in as the ice bit at her toes. Shaking, she sat into the ice, maneuvering to cover herself up to her shoulders in ice. She shuddered as minutes passed and her body temperature dropped. She stuck a foot out of the bath, seeing the nail-beds on her toes turning slightly blue. She brought her foot back under the ice through sheer force of will. Sure enough, as the heat of her body retreated only to her most essential organs, her body began to shut down. She felt a spark as her magic reacted, fighting to counteract the hypothermia in spite of the cuffs on her wrists.

Using the single seed of magic that had returned to her momentarily, she searched the mansion for Loki, finding him in the basement of the house. She approached with caution, wary that he might sense her, but he seemed to be entering a transient state, unaware of the activity around him as scientists rushed about, packing things away. _Thor said that his army was coming from another dimension. He must be going to talk to whoever he's cut a deal with to control the army. Good, spirit-walking takes time and focus. He can't have been at this for too long, which gives me time to get this damn collar off, spoil his plans, and haul ass out of here, _she thought, quickly climbing out of the bath. Her skin had turned deathly pale, a far cry from its usual golden tone. Catching sight of herself in the mirror, she started at her pale bluish lips. She seemed like a creature made of ice with her now pale skin, white hair, and bright blue eyes.

Avani quickly dried herself with a towel, fighting the temptation to simply curl up in the blanket and wait to warm up. She walked to the light switch, flipping switches until a heater came on. Sighing with relief, she dressed in her bra and underwear before going to raid the closet. She went to the man's side of the closet, thinking that he would be more likely to have what she wanted. Sure enough, she dug up a designer pair of tan cargo shorts. She pulled them on, slipping one of the woman's belts through the loops to secure the shorts around her hips. She also found a loose, button up, white shirt that she put on. She rolled the too long sleeves up to her elbows.

She continued to shiver, her body beginning to reach a normal temperature, and sought wire to pick the lock on her collar with. Her eyes lit up as an idea occurred to her. _Electricity = wiring to power stuff!_ She ran into the bedroom and seized the lamp on her nightstand. She yanked it, pulling the plug out of the wall. Thinking quickly, she slid the plug sideways under the bathroom door so that she and the plug were on one side and the lamp was on the other. She picked up the plug and sat down, bracing her feet against the door. She pulled the cable taut and gathered her strength, preparing to yank the cable free of the lamp to expose the wiring.

Taking a deep breath, she pulled the cable, almost falling backwards as the cable came free. She heard the lamp clatter as it rolled around on the floor. Avani got to her feet, deft fingers quickly stripping the cable down to the wires at the broken end. The copper wires shone encouragingly. She went into the bathroom, pushing the door and lamp aside, and climbed up on the counter in front of the mirror. Carefully, she stuck a wire into the tiny key hole, feeling around.

Having great experience picking locks (usually on Stark's stuff, just to annoy him), she was able to deduce that the lock, while tiny, was uncomplicated, probably because it was never expected to hold someone who _could_ pick a lock. Inserting another piece of wire, she watched her hands in the mirror. It took her a few minutes, but finally, she heard a satisfying _beep!_ and _pop!_ as the collar released her. She yanked it off, setting it on the counter. _Alright, Loki. Let the games begin,_ she thought, a wicked grin spreading across her face.

* * *

_To be Continued . . ._

I'm tired. Read and review, please, let me know what you think. I'm off to bed.


	11. Chapter 11

And so you have returned for more, huh? Well, lucky for you, my typing speed has increased dramatically thanks to this story – I have the typershark scores on yahoo to prove it! Well anyway, in the last chapter, we got the indescribable pleasure of meeting Satan so now I'm going to ask you to describe it. What'dya think? He's kind of a bad ass asshole, but he IS the devil, so that kind of makes sense. Avani's inner demon also came into play. Sort of. It's gotta be kind of creepy having an evil version of yourself in the swamp in your head . . . Thank you to Dontgotaclue88, Savysnape7, and .dolphins for the awesome reviews! In other news, I have acquired _**ALL**_ of the x-men and pirates of the Caribbean movies on ebay. LOVE. THEM. I can't wait for them to finally get here. I am also preparing for the great migration to college (hour and a half away, but since me and my roommate are staying in a house, I have a crap load of furniture to move since we've got to furnish the house ourselves). I did make a lot of progress today – I bought the comforter for my bed. It's purple and black with psychedelic peace signs on it. Yeah, I'm cool. So, I guess I'll get this started. I'm not sure how many people, besides my awesome buddy Dontgotaclue88, read this. Here's a quote:

"Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear." – Ambrose Redmoon.

Wow, he has a really awesome last name.

* * *

Chapter 11

Avani jumped off of the bathroom counter and ran to the closet, needing shoes. Her old clothes and her boots had been removed so she grabbed a pair of women's running shoes – a designer brand – and yanked them on. She had to tie them tight because the shoes were a bit too large for her feet, but beggars can't be choosers. Prepared, she exited the bathroom and opened the bedroom door. The hallway was empty, the house silent. First, she reached her hand through the door, testing to see if Loki put a magical ward on the door. There was none. _Of course not,_ she thought, feeling foolish. _He's saving his power for the attack. Why would he waste it on guarding me when he had that collar on me?_

She edged closer to the door, still nervous of entering the hallway. Once she cleared the doorway, she breathed a sigh of relief. No alarms had gone off, she hadn't been thrown back into the room by some magic. _This day is shaping up to be a good day_, she thought, optimistic. Free of her prison, she ran down the hallway, taking the steps in the main entrance hall two at a time. On the ground floor, she found the chefs in a grand kitchen. They were already cooking lunch, preparing a large meal. She walked up to one of the chefs, an older man with graying hair. "Where is Loki?" she asked.

The man stopped what he was doing and looked at her, confused by her presence. He couldn't remember any specific orders given about what to do in the event that Master's Queen appeared. "Master . . . Queen supposed to be in Master's room?" he asked, perplexed.

"Loki wanted me to come see him. Where is he? He would be pleased to know that you helped me," she coaxed, urging the man.

"Master is in the basement," he said, seeming excited at the thought that he would be able to do something to please Loki. It disgusted Avani to see a free-thinking man reduced to such a state of servitude.

"And where is that?" she asked impatiently. _Geez, getting answers out of these guys is like pulling teeth._

"Down the hall to the right of the living room. First door on the left," he responded automatically.

"Thanks," Avani said as she dashed back out of the kitchen. _Loki may be occupied for a few hours, but I need to ruin his plan and get the hell out of here. No time to waste on that. _She found the door to the basement and quickly emerged into the basement of the mansion. The large room was packed with machines and scientists. She flinched a bit when she spotted Loki, seated on a simple bench against the wall, staring off into space. His eyes glowed the same blue as his scepter, the eerie light replacing his emerald eyes. She didn't stop to observe him, continuing towards the middle of the basement that was sectioned off by clear plastic.

Around her, scientists rushed to and fro, packing boxes here and there, taking notes. She saw a single man in the plastic room. Unlike the other scientists, he had shed his white lab coat and wore simple blue jeans with a plaid shirt. He was working intently on some kind of silver like metal in conjunction with the Tesseract. She approached the room, and watched him for a moment before a drawing his attention. He carefully set the chunk of metal down before walking to her. "Does Master Loki know that you are out of your room? Master said Queen would stay in room, safe," he said, glowing blue eyes suspicious.

"Of course he does. He's the one who let me out. He wanted me to keep an eye on his project while he was busy," she lied smoothly, motioning towards Loki's still form on the other side of the room. The man nodded, eyes still suspicious but apparently accepting her answer. "How is it going?" Avani asked, looking at the various scientific instruments around her.

"Very well. Once I complete the stabilizing core, we shall be able to open the portal," he responded, a spark of interest appearing in his glowing eyes at the mention of his project.

Avani processed the information, mind quickly thinking of ways to destroy any possibility of the portal being opened. "I assume you have put safeguards on the device, to keep any enemies from destroying it in order to shut it down?"

"Of course!" the man exclaimed, insulted that she thought he would not account for something so obvious. "The shield upon the device is run by the power of the Tesseract itself, the same power behind Master's weapon. Nothing can break through it or disrupt it to shut down the portal."

"Nothing?" she asked, seeing an opportunity. She allowed a troubled expression to cross her face. "But what if Loki wanted to turn the portal off and move it? To let his army invade in other areas of the world? Where is the first access point anyway?"

The man looked confused at this. "First access point? Master said nothing about doing something like that . . . Master said only to pack everything for the portal and relocate to Stark Tower."

"Really? Well it makes sense that Loki would want to be able to shut the barrier down to me. What if he wanted to shut it off and move it to safety? And how would the people he's made a deal with for the army collect their payment if they can't shut down the barrier and get the Tesseract?" she said, a criticizing tone entering her voice. "You didn't really think this through, did you? Man, I'd hate to be you if Loki needs to shut that thing down. He'd be _pissed_."

The scientist looked appalled and scared at the notion that he may upset "Master". "Well, I could key the barrier to Master's scepter . . . That way Master can turn it off? Because the scepter and Tesseract draw on the same energy, it should be easy to get the barrier to recognize the scepter as the switch . . ." he said, seeming still unsure.

Avani's face lit up at his suggestion. "Good! I'm sure Loki would be pleased by your hard work. Surely, he will reward you for your service," she said encouragingly, seeing the man's face brighten. She decided to press her luck. If she could get away with the Tesseract, then BOOM! Crisis averted. "Could I get a closer look at the Tesseract? It's a fascinating object. What can you tell me about it?" she asked, playing to his love of science. He frowned at the request, thinking it over. At that moment, there was a commotion rising from near the staircase where she had entered. She whirled, preparing to face a very angry Loki, but found only the butler. Unfortunately, he was followed by a few guards, all armed with tasers. She saw him point at her. Before she could try to grab the Tesseract and make a run for it, the soldiers charged at her, taking aim. _Well, I did what I could. My job here is done._

Avani turned and bolted, zigzagging across the room, ducking behind desks and computer monitors so that the men never had a clear shot at her. Without her powers, she could not simply leave them in the dust, but she could still out maneuver them since she was unencumbered by the armor and weapons that they carried. She bound to a door on the far side, praying that it entered somewhere useful and not a closet or something ridiculous. Bursting through the door, she could have cried with joy seeing that it was a hallway and not the dead end that she feared it would be. She dashed down the hallway, aiming for the door on the far side. The soldiers pushed into the hallway, but they were quickly falling behind as her body fell into the natural rhythm of running. While she may not have her special abilities to lend her speed, her muscles still remembered the smoothness of her stride, her body functioning like a well-oiled machine.

She reached the end of the hall and threw open the door to find a garage. A _huge_ garage. Running past the cars, weaving through the rows, ranging from expensive looking sports cars to antiques, she saw that the cars did not have the keys in the. If the keys were in them, then they were where she could not see them which was about as useful as them not having keys at all. She couldn't be wasting time digging through the glove box or something for keys that may or may not be there. Avani made a note of the tunnel at the far end of the garage. The exit.

She began to head that way, figuring that if she couldn't get a ride, than an exit would work too. As she neared the tunnel, she stumbled upon row after row of motorcycles, all with the keys and helmets hanging on the handle bars. _Score! No damn compartments to hide keys on these babies!_ She looked behind her to see the men still chasing her, eerily silent in their focus. She scanned the rows of motorcycles, looking for the fastest one that she could reach quickly. Avani had a soft spot for motorcycles and knew her motorcycle lore. She by passed the large, heavy choppers, knowing they would not give her the maneuverability and speed she needed. The Harleys were made for luxury cruising, not what she had in mind.

Finally, she spotted the perfect one, parked near the exit. It was a Kawasaki H1, first produced in 1968, a model she was a familiar with. This one was beautiful, black with red flames licking her fenders and shining chrome touches. Better yet, Avani knew that this particular model could reach speeds of around 124 mph. She had tested that particular advertised feature when she had gotten a Kawasaki H1 for herself upon its debut. Avani ran to it and quickly straddled the bike, yanking the key off of the handle bar and turning the ignition and putting on the helmet. She flipped the eye-guard down, feeling excitement surge through her. The bike roared to life beneath her, purring and vibrating. It rumbled as she kicked it into gear, twisting it in a sharp turn and speeding down the tunnel and leaving Loki's brainwashed security behind.

The tunnel sloped up sharply and curved, opening to a large driveway. As she pushed the motorcycle into a higher gear, she saw the mansion grow smaller behind her. The mansion's road led to a large and very impressive gate. As the gate grew nearer, she began to worry about having to break through or go around the gate somehow, but to her surprise and pleasure, the gate swung open smoothly upon her approach. _The owners must have rigged all their cars with triggers for the gate. Makes sense, for rich people._ Avani breathed a sigh of relief, relaxing some as the wind whistled past her ears and caught on her clothes. She was on the road to the battle at last.

Upon escaping from Loki's mansion, she had stopped at the first town she had come to and called Stark, asking a restaurant owner if she could use the phone. She had been directed to the kitchen and left to make her call as the cooks in the back worked. He had answered, sounding more stressed than she had ever heard him.

"Hello?" he asked, voice tight.

"Hey, Stark. It's Avani," she said. "Where are you guys?"

"Well, we're about 20,000 feet below where we were when you disappeared, we've only got about 10,000 feet before we hit the ocean. We managed to get all of the engines running, somewhat, but we still haven't been able to get communications back online. Good thing you called me, because JARVIS is the only line we've got open right now. We've sent for transport off of this thing because someone sabotaged all the planes on here during the attack. Oh, and the Fortress is going to have to be put down near headquarters for repairs, so things are looking just peachy," he answered. She could hear the frustration in his voice.

"How long before you get transportation out of there?" she asked. If the rest of the team couldn't make it in time . . .

"An aircraft should be here in a few minutes. My suit's taken quite a bit of damage from the getting caught up in the engine, so I've had to repair it. I've just about got all the glitches worked out on it. From here, we're going to Stark Tower. We think that's where Loki's going to launch his attack, you know, to make a stateme – " Avani cut him off.

"Yeah, that's where he's going. I'm on my way now. I just escaped and I've got a ride. I can meet you at Stark Tower. Listen, I've managed to make a loophole for us. Loki's got that portal rigged with a kickass barrier, but his scepter is the key to the barrier. If we can get the scepter, we can shut down the barrier and the portal. You got that?" Avani asked, itching to get back on the road again. Their transport would move a lot faster than her motorcycle could.

"Roger. Hey, Kitten, speaking of scepters, did Lover boy show you his special scepter?" Stark began before she cut him off again. She could hear the amusement in his voice.

"Shut up, Stark," she growled, tempted to just hang up the phone.

"Well, I'm curious, because he and Thor are gods and Thor won't show me h –"

"I'm hanging up now! Get your head out of the gutter!" she yelled at the phone, drawing odd glances from the staff of the restaurant. She quickly replaced the phone back into the cradle and thanked the owner for letting her use it before she got back on her bike again. She rode for about two hours, shamelessly speeding down the highway. She slowed when she saw police men, usually taking cover on the other side of an eighteen-wheeler. Avani also kept on a sharp eye on the gas gauge. She didn't have any money, or anything of value for that matter, that she could use to pay for gas. _Well, I suppose I could play the helpless girl on the road trick, but that still takes time that I haven't got._ She kicked the bike into the highest gear after another police car passed from her sight, bringing the motorcycle to its top speed.

She rode up behind a man on a beat up motorcycle. He was barely going the speed limit, riding the bike tensely, as if new to it. Something about him was familiar, the way he nervously glanced behind him at the sound of her approach and that graying dark hair . . . Avani smiled widely as she recognized him. She pulled up next to him and slowed to keep pace with him, drawing his attention. She saw him falter a bit when he recognized her, the bike jerking a bit. "Bruce!" she yelled to him. "Pull over!" Avani motioned to the side of the road. Bruce slowed his bike, pulling to the shoulder. She followed.

Bruce leaped off his bike, sparing only a fraction of a second to set the bike on its kickstand before he ran to her, hugging her before she could even take her helmet off. "How - ? Avani, what are you doing here? The last I remember, you were on the Fortress . . . The other guy . . . did he?" Bruce asked, speaking quickly, excitedly. He looked her over for injuries, raising a questioning brow at the cuffs that circled her wrists. Avani pulled the helmet off, revealing white hair that was spikier and messier than usual.

"We haven't got time," she responded. "So I'll give you the short of it. Loki kidnapped me, these cuffs basically make me human, Loki's gonna set up the portal on Stark Tower, we're gonna meet the rest of the team there, and we can shut the portal off with Loki's scepter. Now hop on, we need to go faster than that hunk of metal you were riding can handle," Avani said, scooting up to make room for Bruce.

"What? You got kidnapped? Did that bastard, did he – "

"Bruce," Avani said, face serious. "Get on the bike. Do you really think I'd let someone get the best of me?" Bruce smiled at her, glad to see her so spirited after her captivity. He gingerly straddled the bike, gently holding onto her sides as she slipped the helmet back on. She rolled her eyes, grabbing his hands and wrapping his arms around her midsection. "You better hold on tighter than that or you're going to fly off as soon as we take off. Scoot up!" she demanded, somewhat amused by his shyness. It was a sharp contrast from Loki's self confidence. Bruce scooted up on the seat, pressing firmly against her, arms tightening around her. "Duck your head behind me. We're going to go fast enough that a gnat to the eye is going to blind you, so just keep your head down and your eyes closed," Avani commanded, revving the engine.

"Have you had any experience riding these things?" Bruce asked, concerned. She kicked the bike into gear and took off, picking up speed.

"You kidding me? I practically lived on one these all through the '70s! Trust me!" She yelled back to him, competing with the road noise. She felt him duck behind her and thought about how funny they must look. Bruce was a good-sized man, especially when compared to her small stature. They must look comical as he took cover from the wind behind her. He said nothing as she passed the speed limit without a second thought, only tightening his grip on her. He was a comforting warmth at her were nearing New York City when Avani saw what looked like a black hole open up above the city. The closer they got to the city, the more clogged the streets became and Avani was forced to drive between cars, taking the streets at a slower pace. Police officers tried to make them turn back, but she easily breezed past them, Bruce shouting apologies in their wake.

They continued to head towards Stark Tower as the invading army began to emerge from the portal. They weren't close enough that she could see the soldiers, but she could see the hover scooter things they rode on. Avani could practically feel Bruce's nervousness radiating off of him. He hated combat situations. The pair reached the other Avangers as a large space turtle/whale/ monster squeezed through the portal, smashing through buildings. Ironman swooped in to distract it as the Avengers gathered to make a game plan. The other Avengers greeted them enthusiastically.

"I see my brother could not hold you. That is good," Thor said, smiling happily. Feeling somewhat responsible for his brother's actions, the large man was happy to see that she seemed to be fine.

"We're glad to see you're okay. We were worried," Natasha said, glancing meaningfully at Clint, who had not come to greet Avani. Her look clearly said _He's not himself, he feels guilty, fix it._ Avani nodded subtly. That would be an easy fix.

"You should have been worried for Loki. He's already lost. We got this in the bag. You might want to send up a prayer for Fury, by the way, since he's your boss. He's going to need all the help he can get. We're going to have a very serious talk after this," Avani replied, holding up her wrists to show the cuffs. "It would seem that Phase Two is not the only secret he's been keeping and it pisses me off." She walked over to Clint, a little amused by his nervousness as he seemed caught between facing her head on and avoiding her like the plague. She stood in front of him, waiting until he finally looked at her. When he did, she held his gaze, his clear blue eyes shadowed by guilt as he glanced at the cuffs.

Avani let him think, watching him become nervous about what she might do, what she might say. The anxiety was half of the punishment. Then, Avani held up her right fist, quickly delivering a hard punch to chest, sending him back a step or two. He made no attempt to dodge or block, but clutched his chest after the hit. "There," she said. "Now we're even, as far as I'm concerned."

He gasped a bit, laughing from the simplicity of her forgiveness. "I'm glad to see you still pack a punch! And here I thought you should be evacuated to safety because you haven't got your powers," he said, the look of guilt vanishing in the wake of a smile.

"And let you guys have all the fun?" Avani laughed, smiling in return.

Stark's voice came over the speakers then saying, "This is a touching reunion and all, but tell Banner to suit up. I'm bringing the party to you." A few blocks away, Ironman zipped around a corner, followed by a hailstorm of debris as the humongous space whale followed close behind, its fins slicing through the nearby buildings.

"I don't see how that's a party," Natasha deadpanned. "This would be a good time for the Hulk to help us out." Bruce was already walking forward, towards the thing as it flew towards them.

"That shouldn't be a problem," he said. "I'm always angry." Avani watched as his body seemed to erupt, his bones lengthening, muscles expanding. His skin turned green and his clothes were practically shredded. The Hulk let out a loud roar as he jumped up at the invader, slamming his fist down into its face, easily stopping it in its tracks.

Captain America motioned for them to huddle up as Stark landed near them and the Hulk returned. Looking at the giant, Avani could see sparks of intelligence in its green eyes, more thought lurked in them than anger. _Bruce is learning to control him. Or perhaps they are learning to cooperate?_ "Call it, Captain," Stark said as they waited for orders. Avani had been waiting for this, to see who would take the lead of the "Avengers Initiative." It didn't surprise her that they were turning to Rogers to lead them. He certainly had the qualifications. However, if anyone on the team disagreed or put up a fight, this could turn ugly real quick.

"Alright, listen up. Until we can close that portal up there, we're gonna use containment. Barton, I want you on that roof, eyes on everything. Call out patterns and strays. Stark, you got the perimeter. Anything gets more than three blocks out, you turn it back or your turn it to ash," Roger said, looking each member in the eye as he gave them their tasks.

Clint turned to Stark, saying, "Wanna give me a lift?"

Stark laughed and activated his boosters. "Right. Better clench up, Legolas," he said as he lifted Clint to the roof that Rogers had designated.

Rogers turned back to the remaining Avengers. "Thor, you've gotta try and bottleneck that portal, slow them down. You've got the lightening, light the bastards up," he said, looking at Thor. Thor nodded and began swinging his hammer, eyeing a tall radio tower nearby. _What's he swinging his hammer for? How the hell is he gonna get up there? _Avani thought. When he took off flying, using his hammer to give himself momentum, she wasn't sure if she should laugh or cry. _The fuck?_

Finally, Rogers, glanced at her before turning his attention to Natasha. "You, me, and Beauchene, we stay here on the ground, keep the fighting here. We need to look for Loki and get his scepter to shut the portal down. That's the main objective," Rogers said before looking at the Hulk, who had stood so patiently as the others were set to their tasks. "Hulk?" Rogers asked, looking at the giant. Hulk looked at him expectantly. "Smash." The Hulk nodded enthusiastically, quickly running to the nearby invading soldiers. He happily smashed them against the ground, against the buildings, against each other, leaving a trail of destruction behind him.

Avani ran to a nearby cop car, where a traumatized young police officer sat clutching his radio, calling for back up. He didn't notice that the cord for the radio was cut. His eyes were unfocused, his gaze frantic. Avani had seen this plenty of times, a young kid thrown into a combat situation. Not knowing what to do or how to cope, the man had reverted back to doing what comforted him the most: calling for help. She approached him slowly, holding up her hands to show that she had no intentions to hurt him. She helped him out of the car, not even trying to take the radio from him.

"There is help four blocks away, that way," Avani said, pointing down the street, away from the fighting. "Do you understand? You need to go that way." The boy nodded, pausing in his frantic calling. She sent him on his way before climbing into the car, checking the compartment under the passenger seat. Sure enough, there was a spare pistol, the standard Glock 22 that most policemen carried. She grabbed the spare clips in the compartment, filling the pockets of her cargo shorts. Avani checked the gun, switching off the safety, putting a bullet in the chamber and looked up as an enemy aircraft approached, flying low to the ground as they fired at the nearby buildings. She cocked the pistol, leveling it at the head of the leader of the formation with practiced ease. A wicked smile spread across her face, a latent bloodlust rising up in her. She didn't fight it, only making sure that it did not take control over her completely. _Let's see how your army like a bullet to the eye, Loki_, she thought, her blues eyes sharpening. She squeezed the trigger.

_To be Continued . . ._

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So I've thought about withholding updates until I get more reviews, but that wouldn't be fair to the people who do review faithfully, so I decided to go ahead and update. As always, I want to know what you think because this is my first story. I've been updating pretty quick, huh? Every two days or so. That's pretty good. And my chapters have steadily gotten longer. Don't know why that's happening, but it is. See ya next time! By the way, Avani is a bonafied badass. I'll go into detail in later chapters, a back story, etc., on how she became so awesome.


	12. Chapter 12

Here we go! Chapter 12 already. . . I was going to say that I really need a hobby, but I guess this is my hobby now. Anyways, I should be starting at my new job in the next week or so, so that will take up some of my time and, more importantly, provide me with cash. I need some new games . . . and movies . . . and books . . . I should start a list. Thank you to Outlaw-Lanaya, Mya Croft, Savysnape7, .dolphins, Mrs-Holmes-Watson, and Dontgotaclue88 for the reviews! SO MANY! Love it. Here's a quote!

"The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet, notwithstanding, go out and meet it." –Thucydides

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Chapter 12

Avani smiled as the target went down, a bullet to the eye apparently just as effective on cyborgs as it is on humans. The thing didn't even squeal, simply collapsing and driving its hovercraft into the ground. She took aim at the other creatures, squeezing off shots, felling victims with every bullet. It had been years since she had used a handgun, but her body remembered how to hold it, her hand eye coordination remaining perfectly in sync. Out of her peripheral vision, she saw Captain America taking down other cyborgs with his shield. Natasha was firing with deadly accuracy at the enemy.

Hands grabbed her from behind, wrapping her in an iron grip. She reacted instinctually, swinging her right leg up, kicking whatever had her in the face as it tried to hold on. The kick stunned it and the grip around her loosened. She wrenched her arm and the gun free, pointing the gun over her shoulder and squeezing the trigger. The bullets hit the cyborg in the face, cracking its metal mask to reveal a scarred and slightly slimy face that not even a mother could love. Blood red eyes glared balefully at her. The thing howled its hate as it fell to its knees, gargling blood and painting the asphalt red. She spun and kicked it in the stomach, sending it onto its back before shooting another bullet in its eye to put it out of its misery.

Avani ran down the street to wear Natasha was battling a squad of the creatures. She jumped and twirled, kicking the first one she came to into a nearby burning car. It squealed and ran down the road as it caught fire. The fire quickly spread, consuming the thing. This drew the attention of the others that were attacking Natasha. Natasha and Avani met up, fighting back to back. Natasha was a deadly whirl of uniform martial arts and well placed gunfire while Avani fought by using whatever was on hand. She took advantage of nearby fires and debris, impaling and setting fire to the enemy as much as possible, only resorting to her gun when she had to. Growing up in Storyville, in New Orleans, had taught her the importance of using every advantage. That was one of the main differences between her and Natasha. Natasha had grown up being taught how to fight by a trainer. Avani had learned off the street, where fighting was messy and where it wasn't uncommon to be heavily outnumbered.

Avani and Natasha made short work of the enemy squad, leaving behind only sparking corpses. As they moved closer to Stark tower, Avani searched the skies for Loki. He wouldn't be here on the street taking part in brawls, he'd be up high, decimating those who opposed him from above. _Where the hell is he?_

* * *

Loki smirked as he entered the large living room in Stark Tower. He saw Tony Stark, Ironman, shedding his metal suit on the way in. Stark was cocky and sure of himself, smiling at him cheekily. Loki smiled, a bit amused that the man had the gall to enter Loki's presence without the protection of his suit. "Please tell me you aren't going to try to appeal to my humanity," Loki said, watching the man head straight for the bar along the wall.

"Uh, . . . actually, I'm planning to threaten you," Stark answered, smiling. He looked happy and relaxed, as if he regularly had enemies planning to take over the world in his penthouse.

"You should have left your armor on for that," Loki laughed, nodding towards the hidden machines that had removed Stark's armor.

"Yeah, it's seen a bit of mileage," Stark said. He was still a little peeved at Steve for that stunt with the engine. "You've got the blue stick of destiny. Care for a drink?" Stark asked as he turned his back on Loki to grab a square glass bottle. The god assumed it held liquor of some sort. "Stalling me won't change anything," Loki said, a small smile on his face at the human's amusing antics.

"No, no, no! Threatening. No drink? You sure? I'm having one," Stark said as he took out a shot glass and poured a bit of the liquid inside, looking at Loki expectantly.

"The Chitauri are coming, nothing will change that. What have I to fear?" Loki asked, smirking at the thought as he paced the room, suspicious of the human. _What is he playing at? _Loki thought.

"The Avengers," Stark answered matter-of-factly. Loki looked at him sharply, a bit confused. "It's what we call ourselves, sort of like a team. 'Earth's Mightiest Heroes' type of thing."

Loki smiled and laughed, saying, "Yes, I've met them."

Stark eyed him calculatingly with a bit of annoyance that they had been so underestimated. "Yeah, takes us a while to get any traction, I'll give you that one. But, let's do a head count here. Your brother, the demi-God; your crush, daughter of the one and only devil; a super soldier, a living legend who kind of lives up to the legend; a man with breath-taking anger management issues; a couple of master assassins, and you, big fella, you've managed to piss off every single one of them. Especially Avani. It's going to suck to be you when she gets those cuffs off, and believe me, she will," Stark said, using his fingers to count off the members of the team. He didn't miss the anger that flashed through Loki's eyes at the mention of Avani, though Loki did laugh a bit at the understatement of Banner's condition. Loki turned away, pacing towards the large window in the penthouse that showed New York City under attack and in chaos.

As Loki walked away, Stark quickly slipped on the homing braceletson the counter, preparing for the worst should Loki turn violent. Loki turned back around as Stark finished, face composed again. "That was the plan," he said, serious.

"Not a great plan," Stark replied, walking towards Loki, sipping on his drink. "When they come – and they will – They'll come for you." Stark, raised the glass towards Loki as if to say "cheers" and downed the remaining liquid, setting the glass down on a nearby table. He could see Loki bristling at the threat.

"I have an army," Loki said, annoyance showing on his face.

"We have a Hulk," Stark answered.

Loki was quickly tiring of the man's attitude. "I thought the beast had wandered off," he said sharply. It still burned him that Avani so readily denied him in favor of the monster.

"You're missing the point. There's no throne, there is no version of this, where you come out on top. Maybe your army comes and maybe it's too much for us, but it's all on you. Because if we can't protect the Earth, you can be damned well sure we'll avenge it," Stark said, face serious and critical. Loki smirked at this, stepping closer to the man. Stark fought not to tense automatically at Loki's approach.

"How will your friends find the time to fight me," Loki asked, raising his scepter. "When they're so busy fighting you?" He tapped Stark's chest with the scepter, frowning when he did not sense the burst of magic that normally accompanied the spell. "This usually works," he said, tapping Stark a second time.

"Performance issues? You know, one in five men have the same problem. Is that why Avani didn't stay?" Stark asked, unable to pass up the opportunity to crack a joke at the god's expense. Loki wasn't amused. He grabbed Stark by the throat and tossed him across the room. "JARVIS, anytime now," Stark gasped out, grasping Loki's wrist as the god lifted him from the floor.

"You will ALL fall before me," Loki growled, throwing Stark out of the large glass window and over the edge of the building. He watched in satisfaction as the man fell, frowning when a large pod flew past him towards Stark. It opened up, attaching to Stark's wrists, revealing another of the metal suits. Stark activated the suit and flew back up to the penthouse, hovering in front of Loki.

"There's one other person you've pissed off," Stark said, raising a hand at Loki. "Me." Stark loosed an energy blast that Loki quickly blocked with his magic. Loki returned fire with a shot of icy blue fire, sending Stark back into another building. Loki was pleased to see his soldiers follow the man, forcing him to retreat, leaving Loki in possession of the tower. Loki looked over the battlefield, surveying his work. In every direction, the Avengers were being met and matched by his army. Buildings collapsed, weak humans ran in terror, retreating below the ground. He saw Rogers get thrown into a building through a large window while Barton was being overwhelmed, having run out of arrows. Stark was unable to assist, having his own problems to deal with. As for the beast, the green monster was surrounded and bombarded by a squad of cyborgs. It roared in fury but soon disappeared in a blaze of gunfire. His eyes found Natasha Romanoff, the notorious Black Widow as she fought her way up the street towards the tower.

Finally, his eyes found what he sought. Beside Romanoff, Avani was decimating ranks of his soldiers. Using his magic, he zeroed in on her. She looked glorious, her borrowed clothes stained with the black blood of the invading creatures, her blue eyes alight with the joy of battle. She grinned maniacally, coldly, and he felt a pleasant chill run down his spine. She attacked with surprising agility for a human, having become accustomed to her condition in the heat of war. Her shock of white hair stood on end, golden skin glinting in the harsh sunlight as she gleefully slayed his soldiers. He felt something in his chest twist as he looked at her. She was a sight to behold. _Though she shouldn't be here in the first place,_ he thought, feeling the familiar heat of anger warm him. _I will have to teach her the consequences of disobedience_.

Light flashed around Loki's head as lightening struck the invading army that was pouring from the portal. Thor stood on a tower to the left, summoning lightening to his aid. Loki lifted his scepter, aiming for his brother. Thor saw spotted Loki and used his hammer to land on the Stark tower's balcony. Thor approached him and Loki was disgusted and enraged by his compassionate and pitying look. "Brother! Look at this! Look around you! You think this madness will end with your rule?" Thor pleaded, standing before Loki.

"It's too late. It's too late to stop this," Loki said, glaring at his brother. Thor's blue eyes were desperate. Why did Thor love these humans so? The humans are weak, foolish. What made them so special to him?

"No," Thor said, stepping close to wrap Loki in his embrace. "We can, together." Thor gasped and clutched his side as Loki drove the concealed dagger into him.

"Sentiment!" Loki snarled, twisting the dagger. He pushed Thor away and turned, jumping over the side of the balcony to land on a hovercraft. He quickly assumed control of the vehicle.

* * *

Avani yelled to Natasha and pointed as she spotted Loki boarding a stray hovercraft. "Got him!" Natasha nodded, slamming a cyborg in the back of the head with the butt of her pistol.

"Can you give me a lift?" Natasha asked, pointing to the squadron of hovercraft coming up behind them. Avani looked up, judging the distance.

"I won't be able to get you up as high as Rogers or Thor, but I can get the job done," Avani responded. It would be close, but Avani knew quite a bit about physical limits. She also knew that those limits could be surpassed when the need was great enough. She turned her back on Stark tower, standing in the middle of the street. Avani bent her knees, relaxing her body and cupping her hands to create a foothold for Natasha. Ready, she nodded as the squadron approached. Natasha ran at her, gathering momentum, and planted a single foot in the cup of Avani's hands. As she did so, Avani clenched her muscles, bracing herself firmly on the ground and gathering strength in her shoulders and arms. As she lifted Natasha up, throwing her, Natasha released the pent up energy in her leg like a spring and jumped up onto the front of one of the crafts, landing on its driver and taking him out.

Avani continued towards Stark Tower, keeping an eye on Natasha as she caught up with Loki and fired at him. The shots did no good, bouncing off his barrier harmlessly. He fired back, forcing Natasha to speed up and pass him. He followed fast behind her, his attack unrelenting. Clint must have noticed the situation as Natasha led Loki back towards Avani, aiming to get assistance from some of the other Avengers. Avani saw Loki catch an arrow, his reflexes too fast to see with her slower, human eyes. Suddenly, he was engulfed in an explosion, destroying the hovercraft and sending him flying towards the street. Towards her.

She watched with rapt attention where the scepter landed, running towards it. She ran right under Loki as he fell and heard him hit the ground behind her. She ignored it, running to the scepter and catching it smoothly, careful of the sharp blade on the end. The force of it hitting her hand stung and she thought something in her hand may have broken but she didn't drop it. She ran down the street, aiming for Stark tower. She couldn't radio for help so she hoped Clint would see her and would get someone for her. Avani glanced back behind her.

Loki was getting to his feet, slowly, perhaps a little dazed from the explosion and the fall. Avani ran faster, her heart racing. _If he catches me . . ._ She didn't allow herself to consider the possibility as she slid over car hoods in the destruction of the street. Stark tower was so close now. She heard crashing behind her and looked back again. Her heart nearly stopped when she saw Loki coming after her, flinging cars and obstacles in front of him to the side with his magic. His eyes were a deadly green, his armor scratched and clothes dusty from the fall.

Finally, Avani reached the doors of Stark tower and was met with a choice. _Stairs or elevator?_ _There's no way I can run up so many stairs, this buildings at least fifty stories high. On the other hand, the elevator is salvation or instant death depending on whether or not Loki makes it in with me,_ she thought, making her decision. _I'll take my chances._ She dodged around a corner, running to Stark's private elevator that went only up to the research and development floors, as well as his penthouse. She spotting it at the end of the hall, she slammed the call button on the wall, pressing it repeatedly, urgently.

The doors opened as she heard Loki enter the hall, crashing signaling his approach. She darted inside, punching the "close doors" button again and again. The doors closed as she glimpsed his shadow from the elevator. Then the doors were closed ans she was safe. At least, until she got to the top floor. He wasn't quick enough to make it in, though. She leaned against the wall of buttons, hitting the one for Stark's top floor and taking a deep breath to calm herself. "Thank God . . ." she said, bringing a hand up to massage her temples.

"May I ask what you're thanking me for, my dear, disobedient Queen?" said a voice behind her. The voice was deep and smooth . . . familiar.

"Oh, shit."

_To be Continued . . ._

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Cliffie! You probably don't appreciate it, do you? Oh, well. I'm working on this at McDonalds, also known as McHell. Spilled a coke on myself, so I'm all sticky and people keep looking at me funny because I'm hardcore typing. Whatever. I got this. As always, read and review, let me know what you think about this chapter. Thanks!

P.S. I'm fixing typos. Let me know if I miss any!


	13. Chapter 13

And we're back. Sorry about the sort of short chapter last time and this time, for that matter. These just felt like perfect places to leave off, so I went with it. I started working on this like 15 minutes after publishing chapter 12. I have since relocated from McDonalds to a parking garage as I wait for my grandpa to finish up his doctor's appointment. Sketchy parking garage, let me tell you. I'm on the first floor looking at the dead space under the ramp and it looks like the perfect place for a zombie apocalypse. Luckily, I'm not in Florida, or else that might be a legitimate concern. Anyway . . . Thank you to Cavazza, Dontgotaclue88, Outlaw-Lanaya, and Azura Soul Reaver for the reviews. You guys are awesome!

" Wilderness always speaks to human beings of transcendence in the widest possible. It says, 'You as a human being are part of a system which is not just about your needs and your concerns. Like it or not, you're part of something immense and very mysterious.'" – Dr. Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury

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Chapter 13

Avani whirled, clutching the scepter. Loki slammed her against the wall of the elevator, pinning her with an iron grip around her neck. She growled, bringing the scepter up to try to stab him. He blocked her, releasing her neck to grab opposite ends of the scepter and using it to pin her hands and chest. She kicked, forcing him to use his own legs to pin hers. "Must you fight? You know you can't get away from me. It would be better for you to cooperate, particularly in light of your recent transgressions," Loki growled, pushing her more firmly into the wall. The railing the lined the wall dug painfully into her back, forcing her to lean back awkwardly and only giving Loki more leverage to keep her still. He leaned close to her, their noses mere inches apart.

"If you knew a damn thing about me, you would know that I. Don't. Give up. As for my transgressions, who the hell do you think you are? My dad's the fucking DEVIL. If I can deal with him, I can certainly handle you," She gasped, flame returning to her bright blue eyes. Loki tried to stifle the arousal he felt at her fury. She was beautifully fierce with her hair ruffled wildly, her eyes burning as she pierced him with her gaze. Her chest heaved as she panted, regaining her breath after fleeing from him. The white shirt she wore had lost a few buttons, giving him teasing glimpses of tan skin and luscious curves and he had a very good view as he towered over her. _No!_ he thought. _I will not be distracted. She must learn her place, and she obviously wants to learn the hard way._

"You try my patience. Release the scepter," he ordered, matching her glare with a stern look of his own as he narrowed his eyes down at her.

"Fuck. OFF," she snarled back, holding the scepter tighter, though it kept her pinned to the wall. She clung to it as if it were her lifeline. The elevator continued its ascent, signaling that they would soon reach the penthouse. Loki growled, grabbing her and slamming her back on a different wall. The force knocked the breath out of her and her grip loosened a bit, allowing him to rip his weapon free of her hands. He quickly picked her up by the throat, bringing her up to his eye level as he captured her lips with his in a kiss that was furious and violent. They met with bruising force. Avani bit at his lips, nipping them sharply, and he happily returned the favor, feeling desire curl in his abdomen. Avani growled low in her throat as she tasted blood, her inner demon rising faintly in the back of her mind. The cuffs sparked as their violent kiss deepened. Loki slackened the grip on her neck a bit and Avani swiftly took advantage. She quickly brought one hand up to hold on to his arm, while her other hand formed a claw and swiped at his eyes. He leaned back, easily dodging, and slightly thankful that she didn't have her usual claws. Her dull nails would have been painful enough had they caught him across the face.

"Nah, ah, ah," Loki scolded, wagging his finger at her. "You'll have to do better than that." He eyes were smoldering as they looked at her, memorizing every detail of her appearance, from her abused lips to her passionate, defiant, burning gaze. Avani recovered quickly, ready to fight – not _kiss_ – and she felt the elevator stop and the doors. She looked through the door, desperately wishing for help. Loki released her neck and grabbed her wrists, dragging her after him as he exited the elevator and entered the penthouse once more. He did show some mercy, he thought, when he avoided dragging her through the broken glass that littered the floor. She fought his hold, trying to wiggle out of his grip, but he had her. When her struggling became too distracting, he pulled her forward, in front of him, and delivered a swift punch to her stomach. "Sleep little one. This will all be over when you awake," he whispered in her ear as she went down, her vision darkening.

Loki felt her sag in his grip and he laid her onto the large couch in the middle of the room, intending to retrieve her after the battle. Avani lied there, fighting to stay awake and trying to keep her breath steady as she gasped for air. Loki continued to walk out onto the balcony and she saw Natasha leap onto the balcony from her stolen hovercraft. Stark followed her, firing energy blasts at Loki to try to get him to drop his weapon as Natasha waited to retrieve the scepter. Avani stood up, her legs a bit wobbly, and walked outside, clutching her stomach. She approached Loki from behind. Finally, Loki was hit with a blast, his hand releasing the weapon. It flew from his grasp and Natasha dove after it.

He lifted his hand, intending to summon it back to his hand and Avani made her move. "You're right about one thing, Loki. This is all over," she said as she leaped at him, sweeping his feet out from under him and tackling him to the ground. Natasha grabbed the scepter and ran with it, heading for the Tesseract. "Avani, get out of there!" Stark shouted, taking aim at Loki. She leaped to her feet, jumping off of Loki and ran for the penthouse. Avani felt a hand snag her ankle and kicked back wildly when she felt herself being dragged backwards, towards Loki. _Crap, crap, crap, crap_, she thought, chanting the mantra in her head. Loki pulled her towards him and pinned her down, knowing that Stark could not shoot at him or knock him away without hurting Avani.

As they struggled, Stark got a call from Director Fury, telling him that a nuclear missile was headed for the city. _Shit, _Stark thought, struggling between helping Avani and taking care of the missile. _I have to take care of this. None of us stand a chance if we get blown up. _Stark called for the other Avengers, requesting back up for Avani as he flew off. He knew exactly where to put that missile.

Avani found herself staring up into Loki's wild green eyes as his hands pinned hers down. He looked madder than she had ever seen him, considering that he was usually so composed. He broke her gaze, looking up to try to locate Natasha and his scepter. _I can't let him get the scepter_, she thought. She took advantage of his distraction, using all of her strength to roll them over. She felt some muscles in her stomach and arms rip as she pushed them to the limit and took him by surprise. She straddled his hips, putting all of her weight into keeping him down. He looked up at her, emerald eyes focusing on her sharply. "Loki," she said lowly, leaning close to him, scant inches between their lips. "Don't do this."

"You'll have to beg prettier than that, my sweet little serpent. You'll learn how to beg properly when I punish you later. You have much to answer for," he replied, smirking darkly and easily flipping them over. Loki's face remained close to hers as he looked deep into her eyes, his own dark with emotion. Avani heard the missile approaching, Stark directing it up the building, as Loki sat up, spanning her hips. He stood in time to see Stark flash by, missile on his shoulder aimed directly for the Chitauri's invading army. Loki was powerless to stop him. He also saw Natasha standing with his scepter, preparing to dislodge the Tesseract and shut down the portal.

_Impossible. That barrier is impenetrable,_ he thought. Loki watched his destruction unfold as Stark released the missile and destroyed his army before falling back to earth. Once he fell through the portal, Natasha shut it down and retrieved the Tesseract. The god barely registered that the green giant had caught Stark as he fell to earth, or that the Avengers were mostly reunited. All he registered was an uncontrollable anger, running hot as the core of the earth and cold as the far reaches of the arctic. Loki heard his own blood rushing in his ears, his pounding heartbeat. _Gone. All, gone. Everything,_ he thought furiously. _Why?_

Loki whirled, turning back to the woman that was slowly climbing to her feet behind him and saw red. _She _had caused this. Somehow, she had ruined his entire plan, set him back a years on his quest for power, for kingship. He saw her eyes widen as she looked at him. He walked to her, taking long, powerful strides, and resolved that not all would be lost. He had lost his army, failed in his scheme. It was only just _they _would lose their heroine, their savior. Avani attempted to run from him, clutching her stomach as she walked as quickly as she could while injured.

She ignored the painful twinge in her stomach and the dull pain that developed in the hand she had caught the scepter with, operating on pure adrenaline. She had almost reached the steps into the penthouse when he appeared in front of her, blocking her exit. His face was terrifying, the whites of his eyes bleeding red, his skin taking on a tinge of blue. Avani squeaked, beginning to panic, and quickly turned around, running for the other end of the balcony. Natasha spotted her predicament and was coming to her aid when Avani felt an iron arm wrap around her chest and the world around her spun.

She felt as if she were being pulled in a million directions, anchored only by Loki's hold on her. Images flashed before her eyes too fast for her too process and she began to feel dizzy. Finally, the awful feeling stopped and her feet found purchase on the ground underneath her. The floor beneath her was hard and rough, her surroundings glowing in the evening light. Loki had transported them to a cave of sorts on a beach and she could see that there was still another two hours or so of daylight left. The breeze that blew into the cave was cold, colder than the weather had been in New York. _Never been kidnapped in my life and now it happens twice in one week? How the hell does that work?_ she thought.

Her thoughts were interrupted as she heard Loki growling behind her, his chest against her back. She could _feel_ the rumbling as it traveled through his body and emerged into the open air. The hair on her neck stood on end. Suddenly, the arm around her chest moved and threw her deeper into the cave, into the dark. She yelped as her back hit the rough cave wall, knocking her breath away. Avani crumpled to the ground, rolling on to her side. She coughed, willing air back into her lungs and looked up. Loki marched towards her, the evening light casting a golden glow on his skin as it continued to turn blue, his eyes quickly becoming solid red as his iris' grew smaller, his pupils contracting.

"You did this!" he snarled, voice rougher than before. "This is your fault!" He picked her up again by her left arm, swinging her easily into another wall. She gasped as the arm snapped, twisting away from her at an awkward angle, but restrained her urge to cry. _Come on, Bitch, you've felt worse. Think, think, get yourself out of here. What can you do to calm him, distract him, get away?_ "What did you do?" Loki growled, lifting her by the neck and slamming her against the wall of the cave. She saw stars as her head cracked against rock. She blinked, trying to focus her eyes as the world swam before her.

"What d'ya mean," she slurred, hazy, blood trickling from her mouth. Claws pricked the back of her neck as Loki's skin seemed to settle with a medium shade of royal blue. His eyes were entirely engulfed in red, only his pupils showing from the bloody depths. He slammed her against the wall again, towering above her. She managed to keep from hitting her head this time, giving her time to clear her head.

"You orchestrated this, you planned my downfall! I want to know how, you venomous little demon! How did you destroy all of my careful planning?" He yelled, claws digging into her throat. Avani could feel little trickles of blood running down to her chest. He shook her again, impatient.

"Heh. It wasn't much of an orchestration and didn't take a lot of planning on my part. I was just trying to get away. First, though, I took a detour down to the basement and told your little scientist guy that you'd be pissed if you wanted to shut off the barrier and couldn't. You know, for safety purposes. And then, I was on my way. See? Not exactly Mission Impossible," she said, focusing on keeping her voice steady and strong, as if she hadn't a care in the world. She did smirk a bit, knowing that the Avengers had won. Whatever happened to her, the world was safe. Loki, on his own, could be dealt with.

Loki howled his fury, throwing her across the length of the cave. Avani felt her conscious fading and growing distant from her body as she tumbled and rolled across the harsh stone floor. She was scraped by the rough ground and she thought she felt her shoulders pop out of socket, an ankle breaking. Finally she stopped, coming to a rest on her side. Loki appeared before her, one heavy boot sliding under her side and sending her flying again. Avani gladly welcomed unconsciousness as she felt ribs break. If all he was going to do was kick her around, she may as well be asleep. Blissfully, the world went dark.

Loki remained, or rather the creature that had been Loki did. It raged, punching the walls of the cave, leaving craters in its wake. Rocks were flying as part of the roof collapsed over Avani. It didn't notice as it snarled and screamed and destroyed until its anger was spent. Finally it stopped, collapsing with a final howl.

_To be Continued . . ._

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Alright, two updates in one day! Man, I'm awesome (or I just have too much free time on my hands). Anyway, it got a little scary there, what with Loki having his own "hulking out" moment, but things should get better next chapter. Let me know what you think!


	14. Chapter 14

So I left you guys with a darker sort of cliffie last time . . . well, we're back~ Chapter 14, like a boss. Yup. . . This is a pretty long chapter too. Thank you to Savysnape7, E, khaoticmindscorrupting, kyleeishere1, Mrs – Holmes – Watson, and Dontgotaclue88 for the reviews! Wow, I'm getting a lot. AWESOME. To E, thank you for breaking your habit of lurking to comment on my story, I am honored. To khaoticmindscorrupting, since I listen to Phantom of the Opera when I write these, I wouldn't be surprised if that's where I picked it up. I LOVE Phantom of the Opera! As for Dontgotaclue88, don't worry, I have the same problem. Why are the bad guys usually so hot? Ex: Loki, Wesker from Resident Evil, Sephiroth from Final Fantasy VII. HOT. Anyway, here's a quote.

"In the beginning, God created man, but seeing him so feeble, He gave him the cat." – Warren Eckstein. In case you haven't gathered this yet, I have cats, whom I love dearly. And, no Microsoft Office word, I do not want to say "which" instead of "whom" as if I'm speaking of objects. My cats are not objects. Kay, thanks.

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Chapter 14

Loki sat up with a start. He wasn't sure where he was exactly, feeling dazed. All he remembered was teleporting Avani and himself to an island he had often retreated to back when Asgard and Midgard had been connected and then . . . nothing. Anger. Darkness. He stood looking around him. Debris lay everywhere, chunks of stone and boulders. Part of the cave had caved in, near the front. That didn't worry him; he could always move the rubble with his magic. What worried him was the fact that he didn't see Avani anywhere. He held his head in his hand, skull aching. _Ow . . . what the hell happened?_

The god quickly summoned his magic to his aid. He was rather fond of the cave, so he used a repairing spell to put it back the way it had been before . . . Loki gasped. Memories flooded back to him, bombarding his mind. _What did I do?_ He urged the spell to go faster, fearing what he would find under the wreckage. The debris moved away, returning to their original places as a way was cleared to the front of the cave. Loki proceeded to the front of the cave as fast as he could without getting hit by the repairing debris. Finally, he saw a flash of white ahead.

"Avani!" Loki called, running to her. He sank to his knees beside her, hands shaking. Blood had flowed from her mouth, covering her chin, and her right cheek was almost black with bruising. He also so that some of her snow white hair was stained and matted, plastered to the side of her head. Loki's gaze traveled down her body. He was relieved to see her chest move slightly as she breathed. She was still alive. Her ribs looked fine, but the bruising that he could see through her torn white shirt told a different story. _I know that her magic will awaken enough to save her life, if she's about to die, from the stunt she pulled back at the manor. Does it heal only enough to keep her alive, and leave the rest of the damage behind?_ This begged a more pressing question though. _Did I hurt her so much, that her magic had to save her life?_ Loki was appalled at the thought that he could lose control so easily, that he could harm the very person that he wanted to like him, the person he wanted to protect.

He forced himself to continue to catalogue her injuries, determining what was in most pressing need of being healed. His knowledge of healing magic was limited, but he would be able to deal with the worst of it. Her left arm was broken, though, luckily, it was not a compound fracture. Her shoulders had been wrenched out of socket. One of her legs was broken, her right one, having been crushed by a boulder when the roof caved in. It made him queasy to see her covered in her own blood, bone fragments peaking from the mess. Loki finished his assessment, noting the way her right foot jutted off at an awkward angle. _Her magic has taken care of her life threatening injuries. I need to take care of the broken bones and wrap up all these scratches._

He laid a hand on her forehead, noting that she was running a fever. Loki frowned, moving down to her broken leg, intending to start with the worst injury first and work his way up from there. It felt like he sat there for hours, carefully knitting her bones back together with his magic and burning the infection and fever from her system. He had compromised, choosing to set the broken bones and get them partially healed so that he would have the strength to handle the fierce fever and infection. He manually popped her arms back into socket, ignoring the stomach-turning crunch that accompanied the action. Finally, he had done as much as he could with his magic already depleted from the battle. He would have to let nature handle the rest.

Loki gathered Avani gently in his arms, minding her injuries. He carried her from the cave, blinking at the harsh dawn light. The sun was just rising in the distance, on the other side of the island. It seemed like a long walk up to his cabin, following a trail that he had preserved with his magic millennia ago, but in reality, it was only a few scant minutes. He was just so tired though. At last, he reached the small cabin, sitting upon a hill, and he opened the door, inhaling the fresh scent of the cabin. It remained undisturbed, as he remembered it. He had put very strong preservation and protection spells on the cabin, using it as a retreat from his oaf of a brother and disapproving family. It was here that he had stored many old texts that he had read and taken a particular liking to, filling the rooms of the cabin with shelves and shelves of books.

Loki hurried to the bedroom laying Avani on the bed. He wrapped a few quilts and furs around her, layering her well to keep her warm while he manually started a fire and retrieved medical supplies. Moving to the fireplace that the bedroom shared with his study, he grabbed some nearby kindling as well as flint, building a good warm fire. It wasn't particularly cold this time of year on the island, but it was cooler than Avani would be accustomed to and Loki didn't want her to get sick, on top of being injured. He shoved down the guilt he felt about her wounds, rationalizing that they, too, were her fault, that she had provoked him. The argument wasn't going well though. Part of him argued that Avani had never promised to help him, or even to remain neutral in the matter. She had been upfront when she said that she would stop him. That part quickly won out.

And now she was paying consequences he had never intended for her to pay. Loki left the room momentarily to retrieve a leather bag of medical supplies. The bandages and solves inside remained unspoiled by time, which he was relieved to notice. He also grabbed a bowl of water and a cloth as he returned, dragging a chair to the bed so he could tend her remaining injuries. First, he wetted the cloth, wiping dirt and dried blood away from her face. Her hair was a mess, forcing him to rinse it repeatedly while cradling her head, but, finally, dark red/brown became snow white again. He applied some healing salve to the scalp wound and wrapped her head in bandages before moving on to her cheek. For her bruised cheek, he applied bruise balm, to sooth the pain of the injury and promote healing. The bruise balm also went on her neck, where he could see the darkening imprint of his hand. And so he went, wrapping her limbs that had been broken carefully, but tightly, in bandages and applying splint to them to keep them straight and bandaging her scratches until all of her injuries had been seen to. He tended her as if she were made of glass, as if she would shatter if handled too roughly. Loki couldn't recall ever being so gentle or careful with another living being.

_Finished_, Loki thought, dropping the remaining medicine and bandages into the bag. He slouched onto the bed, his hands capturing one of hers. He held her hand firmly, careful that he not hurt her, and laid his head down, watching her face carefully. Her eyes didn't so much as flicker as she steadily breathed, in and out, in and out, in and out. . . Loki matched his breathing with hers, falling into the hypnotic rhythm of simply existing. Soon he felt himself fading into sleep as he clutched her small hand in his and rested his head in his arms. He gave in to his exhaustion.

* * *

Avani woke slowly, her head pounding. Every part of her hurt and felt sore, a feeling she was unaccustomed to. Sure, she had been hurt plenty of time but usually her injuries healed so quickly that she never really felt the aftermath, the lingering pain. She opened her eyes, focusing on the wooden rafters that held up the ceiling. _Where . . . ?_ she thought hazily. Slowly, her memories returned of the battle and what followed after. _Loki . . . _She turned her head to the left, wincing at the pain in her neck and the tenderness of her skull. She was lying in a bed, in a cabin style room. The nightstand on the left was piled high with book and scrolls. Avani's gaze traveled around the room, taking in her heavily bandaged foot that stuck out from under the quilt and the fire burning in the fireplace across from the bed.

Looking to her right, she started a bit to see Loki sitting in a chair beside the bed, slouched over and sleeping. She tried to withdraw her hand from his, but felt his grip tighten. He frowned in his sleep, clinging to her. Sighing, Avani wrote getting her hand back as a lost cause for the time being. She looked at his face, taking in the worn and stressed look. His forehead was creased a bit in worry lines and his thin lips were pursed tightly as he frowned. Apparently he decided that she wasn't going to try to reclaim her hand again because he slackened his grip a little on her hand, though she didn't try to take it back this time. Her body felt so tired and sore. She coughed, feeling something catch in her throat. Avani yanked her hand from Loki's bringing it up to clutch at her chest as she vaulted up.

She tried to bring her left hand up too, but she found that it only lifted a bit off of the bed in response before dropping painfully down to her side. Her ribs burned as she coughed harshly, protesting at being flexed in her struggle to breath. Avani hunched over, holding her ribs and desperately willing them to stop hurting. A gentle hand rubbed her back as another offered her a glass of water. Her coughing subsided, the hand at her back radiating cool healing. She looked at the glass, sliding her gaze from the elegant hand that offered it up a green and black clad arm to Loki's face. His look was concerned, his eyes watching keenly for her reaction. His hand at her back continued to ease her coughing, clearing her lungs.

"I . . . I wasn't sure if you had taken sick after," He blinked looking down before looking back to her, green eyes dulled. "After last night. I ran out of energy earlier so I couldn't check, but my strength is returning so I can at least clear this up. You've developed a mild case of pneumonia. Unfortunately, because I have already laid slow healing spells on the rest of your injuries, I cannot speed the spells up. To do so would upset your body's equilibrium and cause your injuries to heal improperly," he finished, his voice low and soothing, as she stopped clutching her torso and took the offered water in a shaking hand. Loki quickly arranged pillows behind her to allow her to sit up and helped her lean back against them. Avani began gulping the water eagerly, thirsty after her coughing fit. She wasn't sure how to react to the news, still processing the fact that she was still injured and apparently would before a while. This had never happened to her before.

He took the empty glass from her shaking hand, filling it again with the pitcher of water on the nightstand beside him. "Drink slowly," he said, handing it back to her. "I don't want you to get sick." He didn't miss the sharp look she threw him, clearly thinking _Well, if you didn't want me to get sick, maybe you shouldn't have beat the shit out of me, stupid_. Something in his chest twisted painfully at the look and he drew in a shaky breath, having difficulty processing the feeling. She complied though, drinking the second glass more slowly than before, observing him from the corner of her eye. He looked worried and guilty, like a kicked puppy, his green eyes not quite meeting her blue ones.

Avani paused between sips. "You're not blue anymore," she said, simply making an observation. "And your eyes aren't red." He glanced into her eyes, unsure of how to respond. Was she questioning, accusing? Just making conversation?

"That . . . it is my frost giant form. When I tap into my more latent powers, my physical appearance changes to better accommodate my nature," he paused. "That is the first time I've lost control of my actions, however." There was an awkward silence between them. Loki could see it in her crystal blue eyes that she was asking for no apology from him, and that was what concerned him. Was he beyond forgiveness in her eyes?

Avani finished the glass of water, the shaking in her hand growing worse from the strain. She dropped her arm back to her side, clutching the glass spasmodically. Her blue eyes glared at her arm, hating the twitching of muscles that she couldn't control. She felt weak, pathetic. She couldn't even hold a glass to her lips for a length time. Loki gently slipped the glass from her grip, setting it onto the nightstand. He sat quietly, waiting for her to look at him. Finally those stunning, deep blue eyes found his.

He took her hand in his, holding her shaking hand still. He tried to communicate to her with his eyes what he was feeling, the shame, the guilt. The fear he felt at the thought that the one person he had chosen, the person he thought would understand him and love him one day, may hate him. "I'm sorry," he said, hating himself for how inadequate the words were. His pride stung at having to apologize, but that did not hurt as much as the thought of losing her. He tried to hide his nervousness as she stared him firmly in the eyes, her blue orbs betraying nothing of her feelings.

Time seemed frozen as she looked at him, taking in his expression, judging and weighing his words and intentions. Finally, the moment broke. "I know," she said simply. He continued to look at her beseechingly. She knew what he was waiting for. He wanted to know if he could be forgiven, if she could accept him despite his actions last night. Avani also knew that to reject him now, following his defeat in New York, may extinguish what little hope remained in his emerald green eyes. She felt guilty, and was a little angry at herself for feeling that way. What did she owe him? He had kidnapped her, cuffed her, collared her, beat her. He had wanted to take over her world, her home. She owed him nothing!

But then she considered the look she had seen in Bruce's eyes the first time he had injured her as the Hulk. She had healed quickly then, her wounds disappearing before his eyes, but he had still looked so guilty, so broken, as Loki did now. Bruce had hurt her plenty of times over the years in his rages and she had always forgiven him because she knew what is was like to be rejected and looked down upon for something that couldn't be helped. She remembered Loki saying that he had never lost control like that before. How scared he must be to discover that the monster could not only appear in his physical looks, but that such a thing lurked inside of him as well. Finally, she looked away from his pleading eyes, merely squeezing one of his hands, a sign that she did not hate him or fear him, that he may be forgiven yet.

Avani didn't catch the smile that spread over his face, the look of relief that accompanied her actions. He squeezed her hand in return before getting to his feet. "I'm going to start dinner," he said. "Is there anything in particular that you would like?" he asked, thinking _I always leave a good supply of food here, but I'll have to stock up soon, with her appetite._ He frowned when she responded that she wasn't really hungry as she sank back into the pillows, closing her eyes tiredly. He took her lack of hunger as a sign of her illness. Loki was aware that she probably hadn't eaten anything since breakfast the day before and then not nearly as much as she normally would have. He would have to see to it that she ate a decent amount, whether or not she was hungry.

Avani went back to sleep as he went to the kitchen to prepare a heart stew, something that would be easy for her to eat and full of nutrients, the sounds of cabinets opening and closing while pots and such were set on the counter fading from her consciousness.

* * *

Avani opened her eyes to find herself back in the swamp that sheltered her mind. In her mind, she was still perfectly healthy, her powers unbound by cuffs. She sat down in the skiff, not wanting to deal with her inner demon today. She may be dreaming, but it still took energy to navigate the swamps and handle what she found there. Energy was something she was lacking at the moment. Avani sat down in the skiff, settling back to listen to the eerie silence of her mind. The moon shown above her still, always full, always in the same place. From time to time, she would see a pair of eyes peering at her from behind the shelter of the cypress trees and undergrowth. The demon was not the only thing that went bump in the night here.

Here, in this place that her mind had created to handle the horrors she had experienced and seen, her more gruesome memories took on form, hunting her and anything else that may invade the sanctity of her mind. Avani hadn't been lying when she said the demon would get lost in here and find itself attacked by her more vicious memories. What she hadn't told the demon was that those memories hunted her as well, following her movement through the bayous, waiting for the opportunity to strike. She closed her eyes and formed a barrier around herself to keep even the boldest of her memories out. Just because she had to be here while her body rested didn't mean that she couldn't try to get some sleep here also.

* * *

In the kitchen, Loki carefully made sure the meat in the stew was in small, easy-to-chew pieces. Periodically, he would look in on Avani and he wasn't sure if he should be worried that she was sleeping again or if he should be relieved that she was resting. Returning to the meal, he also pulled some bread from the storeroom, heating it up when the stew was nearly done. He quickly retrieved a tray, setting two bowls of stew with a plate of bread upon it along with napkins. He added a cup for himself and carried the tray to the bedroom, setting it on the night stand with the pitcher of water and Avani's glass.

"Avani," he said quietly, not wanting to startle her. She didn't stir. "Avani," he repeated a little louder, putting a hand on her shoulder and rubbing gently. The physical contact did the trick. Bright blue eyes peeked out at him from under heavy lids as she tried to sit more upright. Loki didn't miss her small glare as he helped her, putting more pillows in behind her so that she was sitting up straight. He also saw her uninjured hand hold her ribs again, as if trying to protect the bruised area.

"I can sit up on my own, you know," she said, insulted. "I'm not completely helpless." _So that's what the problem is, _he thought, smiling a bit. _She must be feeling better if she's protesting._

"Of course not. I only want to make sure you are comfortable," he replied, humoring her. He set a bowl of stew in her lap, making sure it was steady before releasing his hold on it. Next to her, he set a napkin with a slice of bread upon it. She lifted her right hand, stirring the soup, taking in the scents. It smelled good, but she wasn't hungry, just tired, really. All she wanted to do was lay back down and return to her slumber. Loki frowned at her reluctance as he ate his own stew. Was she worried that he had put something in it? Did she not like it? Was she just not hungry? "Is it okay?" he asked, concerned.

"No, it's fine," she responded, lifting a very shaky spoonful of stew to her lips. She managed to make it without spilling and she cursed herself for thinking of that as some sort of accomplishment. Was this what she had been reduced to? The stew was good, the meat well cooked. She could see bits of carrots and other vegetables in it, all cooked until they were soft and easy to chew. She managed a second and third spoonful before dipping the bread in the stew. She nibbled it, already beginning to feel full. Loki was half way through his serving, though she reminded herself that had she been well, she would be on her third bowl. She ate a few more spoonfuls before giving up, unsure if she was stopping because she was full or if she was stopping because her arm was tired.

Loki had been watching he sharply as she ate, noticing that she ate only a bit of the food. He finished his stew and bread, satisfied that it had tasted rather good for being made of food that was preserved only by spells. "You're not finished, are you?" he asked as he returned his empty bowl to the tray. He took a sip of water, waiting for her to answer.

"Yeah, I'm done," she paused before adding, "It was very good. Thank you."

"You can't be done, you haven't even eaten half of the stew. And there's plenty more where this came from," he replied.

"I'm full," she said shortly, clearly not wanting him to push the subject. He was having none of it though. He wasn't going to let her starve after all of this. If nothing else, he would see to it that she finished that bowl of stew.

"You need to eat. At least eat what you've got there," Loki said, pointing at her stew. The bowl was still mostly full.

"I'm_ not_ hungry," she growled, becoming annoyed. That wasn't a complete lie. She wasn't hungry – she hadn't been when she started – but she was being particularly adamant because she wasn't sure if she could keep lifting the spoon to her mouth. She felt weak as a kitten after doing so little already, but there was no way in hell she was going to let him know that.

"Avani," Loki said seriously, looking her in the eyes. "Finish your stew. Then you can get some more sleep."

"I told you and I'm not eating any more of your stew!" she replied, sticking her nose in the air stubbornly. She looked away from him, her body language saying that she considered the argument to be over. Loki had different plans, however.

"You are going to eat this stew if I have to spoon feed it to you!" Loki said, his voice rising in volume. Seeing that she was still apparently quite dedicated to ignoring him, he lowered his voice, trying to reason with her. "Your stomach may be telling you it's full, but I can bet that you haven't eaten since you escaped me at the mansion. You need more than that little bit you ate, Avani."

"I'll eat more tomorrow," she replied, negating his attempts. Loki stood there, frustrated by her defiance. He couldn't let her win this battle. She was injured, she needed to eat. This wasn't just a matter of her disrespecting his authority, something that she seemed to do on principle, this was a matter of her well being and was infinitely more important. He sighed, running a hand through his long black hair.

"Very well," he said, lifting the bowl from her lap and set it and the bread on the nightstand. He took a seat beside her on the bed, drawing her attention. It pained him a bit to see her bruised cheek as she turned to look at him in surprise. Her blue eyes were wide and riddled with confusion and suspicion. He took a bite of stew as he lifted a hand to her, bringing it up to lovingly stroke her uninjured cheek. He leaned close, using his hand to hold her head in place as he kissed her. She growled and tried to escape his grip, but her struggles were faint.

Slyly, he nibbled her lip, keeping the stew in his cheeks. She didn't fall for it, keeping her lips sealed tightly. Determined, he nipped her lip sharply. As she gasped a bit, he cunningly slipped the stew into her mouth, smirking at her look of indignation. He withdrew from the kiss, savoring the feeling of her soft, full lips against his own. Loki quickly covered her mouth with his hand, pinching her nose with his other. She glared at him fiercely, unable to yell at him. Finally, her need to breathe overcame her stubbornness and she swallowed the mouthful of stew. He released her nose and mouth, grabbing the spoon and sticking another bite of stew in her mouth as she began to scold him.

She stopped trying to talk immediately, settling for trying to kill him with her icy blue gaze. He held another bite of stew to her lips, saying, "Come on, open up. Or would you prefer that I deliver it with a kiss again, my sweet?" Reluctantly, she opened her mouth, accepting another bite of stew. He never did let her speak, shoving another spoonful in when she tried. At last, the bowl of stew was empty. He didn't push her to eat the bread, deciding that having her finish the bowl was good enough for now. Loki placed the spoon onto the tray and captured her lips in another kiss, catching her by surprise. His thin lips met her, and he politely waited for her to grant him entrance to her cavern. Gently, his tongue engaged hers, deepening the kiss. He held her chin, tilting her head up to give him better access as he explored her mouth. Finally, he released her, both taking a breath of air, as Avani averted her eyes from him, a blush rising on her cheeks. Even battered, she was a stunning creature, captivatingly tragic with her bruises and bandages.

He lifted her chin, forcing her to look at him. Avani blushed a little deeper at the desire in his half-lidded emerald eyes. "Do you need anything before I leave you to your rest?" he asked, taking in her adorable blush and charming – and sudden – shyness. She shook her head and he leaned in once more, surprising her by placing a chaste kiss on her forehead. "Very well. I'll be in the next room. Do not hesitate to call if you need anything," he said, standing up and helping her lay down before gathering the dishes. He walked to the door, turning to wish her sweet dreams. Then, he went to the kitchen, preserving the stew for another day and cleaning the dishes. When he looked in on her again, she was asleep, her breathing even and unlabored. Smiling, he retreated to the living room, settling onto the couch to read until he felt sleepy. From time to time, his mind wandered back to how pleasant kissing her had been.

_To be Continued . . ._

* * *

Well, what do you think? Pretty different from last chapter, huh? As usual, please review. I really appreciate reviews!


	15. Chapter 15

Alright, here is chapter 15! Thank you to TaylorTubby, LostInParadise21. Mya Croft, Savysnape7, .dolphins, Dontgotaclue88, and Vyrii. Vyrii, I would love for you to help me correct any errors! I always get distracted by words that are misspelled or grammatical errors, so by all means. Unfortunately, I did not include the part where Hulk totally owns Loki, though I did love that part in the movie. Sorry! Anyway, here's a quote!

"The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death." I'm not sure what this is from.

* * *

Chapter 15

Loki set down the old tome he had been reading, his eyes growing heavy. He was surprised to feel tired already, after sleeping the day away at Avani's bedside, but he saw no reason why he couldn't indulge in a nap again. Quietly, Loki went to the bedroom, checking to make sure that Avani continued to sleep comfortably. She was fast asleep, undisturbed by whatever specters haunted her dreams back at the mansion, so he proceeded to the wardrobe in the corner of the room, removing his layers of heavy armor. He changed into a pair of simple black sleeping pants and a blue shirt, preparing for sleep. On the island, the armor was unnecessary (so long as Avani was confined to the bed, anyway). He touched the small rod of metal that hung from a chain around his neck, revealed from under the layers of protective clothing. He held it gently, checking the protective spells he had put on it to prevent it from being stolen. Returning to the couch, he blew out the lamp beside him, leaving the living room lit only by the small fire in the fireplace.

He lied down on the couch, tossing and turning, trying to find a comfortable position. There was nothing _wrong _with the couch. It was well cushioned, and he had a blanket to keep himself warm. However, he still felt restless. He would find a comfortable position and fall asleep, only to wake again soon after and be forced to search for a new, more comfortable position. The fifth time this happened, he let out a growl and sat up, frustrated. He was tired, so why couldn't he just go to sleep?

_I managed to sleep just fine on a stool earlier, why can't I sleep on a couch now? _he thought, rubbing his eyes. It was early morning now, still dark outside, so he decided to give up on sleeping. He needed to get some things done anyway. Rising, he went to the kitchen, checking his supplies and noting what he would need to gather while he was out. He would need to get milk, as well as more meat and vegetables. Pasta, also, and fruits. Some desserts wouldn't hurt either. While he was at it, he would have to pick up toothbrushes and other care products. Avani would also need fresh clothing. The clothes she had borrowed had not taken battle well, leaving them ripped and bloodied.

Loki summoned his scepter, relishing in the refreshing energy it emitted. He imagined himself transformed, transforming himself into someone who blended well in a crowd, someone unremarkable. His black hair turned brown and shortened to about the length of Avani's hair, his striking green eyes being replaced with muddy brown ones. Scruff appeared on his chin, making him look messy, as his clothes changed from his sleeping wear into the blue jeans he had seen many of the humans wear, his shirt becoming a plain olive green. Satisfied that he was suitably disguised, he focused on the image he had seen of Avani's house from the outside, intending to gather clothing for her.

He recalled the charming white Victorian-style house, with two stories, a wrap-around porch, and a balcony. The iron fence around it was short, only about waist height, and topped with fleur-de-lis, the symbol of her city. The lawn in front of it was green and well-kept, completed by the large, old oak tree in the yard. Loki felt the familiar pull on the center of his body as he was transported where he wished to go. The air around him became very warm and heavy with humidity. The sound of a distant car reached his ears as the dim light of a streetlight met his eyes. He looked around, finding himself standing before Avani's house. It looked just as it had in the picture that Barton had showed him, a rather large house, he thought, for someone who lived alone.

Loki walked to the large front doors, inlaid with glass windows, and rested his hand on the handle. He felt a spell on the door, a strong one that would keep intruders out of the house entirely, but it was no match for someone of his level. Avani had apparently not been expecting someone of his power to come knocking at her door. He made short work of the spell, reducing it to nothingness, and used his magic to unlock the door. Stepping inside, he was greeted by a large, open living room and kitchen. While the house wasn't particularly cluttered, knickknacks were scattered about the room, garnering his attention. There was a wide variety of things and he wondered at their purpose. Did she keep them because she thought them pretty or interesting, or did they hold some sentimental value. Pictures and musical instruments lined the walls and shelves.

Many of the pictures were group pictures, holding Avani and a dozen other people, many of them looking to be very poor from the state of their clothing. They all smiled happily in the picture though. Another picture was of Avani holding a young child. The pair looked at each other, both looking curious and delighted. The little girl was reaching up a small hand to Avani's hair, looking bewildered at the color. Avani's smile was stunning in the picture, as if she could not have been happier. Her face was softened by the grin, her eyes warm and loving. Each picture revealed to him another aspect of her life, ranging from the things she liked to do to the people who showed up again and again in her pictures.

A face that stood out to him was annoyingly familiar. She and Dr. Banner often looked back at him from a frame as they fished on a river bank or went on a hike. It bothered him that they were so close, so familiar with each other. Loki explored the house quickly, learning more about Avani, things that Barton had never been able to tell him. Art work decorated the home, ranging from serene nature scenes to hectic clashes of color. He continued to the second story, looking for her bedroom. A search of the rooms revealed two guest rooms and an office. The office was overpowered by wall to wall shelving, books filling the shelves and spilling over to piles on the floor. Avani was, apparently, an avid reader. Scanning the titles briefly, he noted that many of them were horror and fantasy books, though one section did hold books on a gamut of subjects, from archaeology and history to biology and classic literature. He grabbed some of the books, ones that looked old and well worn, as if they had been thumbed through a thousand times. Loki was no fool, he knew Avani would get bored quickly and the books may help entertain her for a while. The books he selected were sent straight to the cabin, finding a place on the small table by the couch.

He exited the office, entering the remaining room. It was the master bedroom, filled with dark wood furniture. There was a large, sleigh bed and a wardrobe in the room, the wall similarly filled by different art and knickknacks. His attention was drawn to an old guitar above her bed. It was in beautiful condition and well maintained. Loki wondered what the significance of the guitar was that it would be given the central position above her bed. Perhaps she would tell him sometime.

He found the closet and dragged out a large suitcase into the middle of the room. Loki filled it quickly, packing undergarments and other clothes for Avani. He did find some temptingly skimpy clothing, things that he had no trouble imagining Avani in. Those clothes were, sadly, in the minority. He packed a pair of tight leather pants and a tiny top, thinking that there was nothing wrong with planning ahead. He also added some of the cargo pants and jeans that Avani was fond of, as well as sleeping clothes. He threw in a jacket, a pair of slippers, her toothbrush and other toiletries, and a pair of sandals before closing the suitcase and sending it back to the cabin. There were still food supplies and such to gather.

Loki went back down to the kitchen, intending to raid her food stock. Unfortunately, the refrigerator and pantry yielded little that he considered edible. It was mostly frozen dinners, canned soup, and noodle packages, nothing that was actually good to eat. _I suppose I'll have to go to a market, then, _he thought, resigned. It was risky, going to the market, but necessary. Thinking of a market place, one that was empty and closed, he transported himself to a food store. The place was dark, closed for the night, which suited him perfectly. He walked the aisles casually, transporting things back to the cabin and into his cupboards with a touch. He stocked up well on food, not wanting to have to venture out often. As he wandered the store, a magazine display caught his eye. The main topic of the magazines seemed to be Avani, featuring pictures of her battling on the streets against different opponents. All were topped by the question "Where is she now?" The article on her disappearance said that the remaining Avengers were searching high and low for their friend, kidnapped by the enemy in a moment of weakness. There was little other information there, mostly speculation on Avani's relationship with each of the Avengers and a summary of her importance to the world and particularly to the city of New Orleans. There was little in the article that he wasn't already aware of, but it reminded him sharply of the many things that he didn't know about her, the many things that no one seemed to know about her. Loki stuffed the magazine back in its rack, feeling a little sour for some reason.

It didn't take him long to finish his shopping, so he was able to leave well before opening time. Returning to the cabin, he dropped his disguise and checked on Avani, a bit worried at having left her unattended for so long. She was still asleep, thankfully. The sun was just rising out of the kitchen window, so he decided to store her things away with his and start on breakfast. Reminded of how little she had eaten the night before, he cooked a large breakfast, hoping her appetite would return.

He made a plate of eggs with a large stack of pancakes, including a pile of toast with honey and syrup to complement the meal. Loki retrieved the pitcher of water from the bedroom, as well as Avani's empty glass, and filled it with milk. When he finished cooking, he carried the tray of food to the bedroom, repeating last night's process. He woke her slowly, smiling at her aggravated look as he helped her sit up again. She blinked her eyes blurrily, rubbing the sleep from them.

"I hope you're hungry," he said, cutting her pancakes and eggs into bite-sized pieces. She looked surprised when he set the plate down in her lap, responding quickly by thanking him. He placed her glass of milk on the nightstand and watched closely as she lifted a bite of syrup-covered pancake to her mouth, her hand not as shaky as it had been last night. He began eating his own meal once he was sure that she was going to eat hers.

"This is good," she said, working on the pancakes. "Where did you learn to cook?"

"I taught myself to cook, when I first built this place. It was that or not eat hot meals," he replied, warmed by her praise. "I'm glad you like it. More?" he asked, indicating her empty plate. When she nodded, he took the plate, refilling it with more pancakes and eggs, and then cutting them into pieces again before returning the plate to her. She dug in, eating happily. As she ate, the lingering tremor that had plagued her arm disappeared, allowing her to feed herself. Avani plowed through four serving, declining when Loki offered her a fifth.

"No, I'm full. Completely," she said, shaking her head as he went to refill her plate. Loki ignored her and handed the plate back.

"There's only a bit left here, not enough to be worth saving. I'm sure you can manage. You're body needs the nutrients anyway," he replied, giving her a stern look when he saw a stubborn gleam in her eyes. She held his gaze, raising a daring brow. "Or perhaps you'd prefer for me to employ the same techniques I used last night?" She rolled her eyes and blushed a bit, eating the pancakes. She ate more slowly this time, each bite taking effort. Loki could see her stomach was filling, expanding a bit beneath the bed sheets. She looked irresistible, blushing under his gaze as she finished the last few bites on her plate, displeased at being ordered to do something. "Good girl," he said as she finished. She growled and shoved the plate back at him, fingers playing agitatedly with the blankets as she refused to look at him.

He gathered the empty plates together and carried them to the kitchen, setting them in the sink. The sink was rustic by the standards of modern humans, a large basin carved from ancient granite, filled by a pump. When he had formed ducts down to the spring below the house, bringing in running water for his use upon first building the cabin, the idea had been revolutionary, unheard of at the time. Now it was a household standard. Of course, he still had his spells to quickly clean and dry the dishware, so he remained forever a step ahead of the humans.

He was just finishing his task when he heard movement in the bedroom, scraping and fumbling. Loki dropped what he had been doing and hurried back to the room, surprised to find Avani trying to get out of bed. Surprise was quickly replaced by concern and anger. She clutched the nightstand, her broken arm having been maneuvered into her lap. Her broken leg hung off the bed as she tried to get her good one around to stand on. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" he asked, rushing to her side. He tried to help her back into the bed but she fought him.

"Leave me alone!" she snapped, determined to stand.

"Why are you trying to get up?" he asked, stopping her from leaving the bed. "If you need something, all you need to do is ask! Not try to get up and hurt yourself in the process."

"I just need to go to the bathroom! No big deal, if you'll just let me up, I'll be fine," she growled, unable to break his hold on her, blushing with embarrassment.

"How? By walking on your _broken_ leg," he said, stressing her injury. He couldn't believe she had even considered this, this _idiocy._ What the hell was she thinking?

"It wouldn't be the first time," she snapped, her blue eyes hard. They stared at each other. Her gaze was stubborn and jaded, revealing for the first time to him just how much she gone through. His look was unwavering and stern, not about to let her walk anywhere for some time.

"Then you'll have to let me help you," he said finally.

"There is no way in hell that I'm going to let you help me go to the bathroom. I'm not some kind of invalid. I'm in_jured _not in_capable_," she responded defiantly. Loki ignored her, summoning a scrap of white cloth to his hand. Gently, he lifted her broken arm and slid the cloth under it, fashioning a sling for her. She allowed him, figuring that it would be easier for her to get around if her arm wasn't just flopping about. That done, he scooped her into his arms, mindful of her leg and other injuries. "Hey!" she hissed, holding on to her bruised ribs. _Damn, the ribs always hurt like a bitch_, Avani thought.

Loki carried her to the bathroom, adjacent to the bedroom, carefully lowering her to the toilet seat. Like the faucet in the kitchen, it was rustic, a rough stone bench with a wooden seat. Water flowed through the pipeline at all times, providing it with fresh water. There was modern toilet paper next to it, a product of his earlier shopping excursion. He looked at Avani as she blushed with humiliation for requiring help to go to the bathroom. "I can take it from here," she growled, looking away from him.

"Are you sure?" he asked, thinking that she had only one good arm and one good leg to accomplish this with.

"Yes! Will you just get out? I'm fine," she said, a pleading tone entering her voice. If he hadn't been paying attention, he may have never noticed the urgent note. He nodded, unsure if he was more relieved that she didn't need his help or worried that she might accidentally hurt herself. He exited the room, closing the door behind him and leaving her to her business. Loki decided that she should probably get fresh clothes for her, so he went to her suitcase and pulled clean undergarments and sleeping clothes for her while listening carefully forher to call him back in. When Avani had finished and pulled the tattered short back up around her hips, she stood, wobbling on her left leg, using her right arm to steady herself. _What Loki doesn't know won't kill him_, she thought. She hopped painfully to the sink, careful to keep her broken leg and ankle clear of the floor, and pumped a bit of water to splash her face with.

Looking at herself, Avani took in the clean white bandages wrapped around her head and the bruise on her cheek that was fading from purple to yellow and green. The hand-shaped bruise on her neck didn't escape her notice, though it was fading more quickly than the one on her cheek. She had a few scrapes along her arms and more that she could see on her knees and legs. Her ribcage was a mess of bruising, which wasn't a surprise considering the pain. She was pleasantly surprised to find that none of her ribs were broken, only bruised severely. Her broken limbs were bandaged tightly, with sticks in the wrappings to keep the bones straight while other gashes and such that she had collected were also well wrapped and tended. _Really, considering what happened, I got off easy,_ she thought grimly, reminding herself that this wouldn't be a problem if she didn't have the stupid cuffs off. An idea sparked in her brain at the thought.

"Hey, Loki!" she called, trying to stifle her excitement, forcing herself to consider the fact that he may say no. He opened the door quickly, apparently ready for her call. She began to the regret the idea when she saw the look on his face.

"Why are you standing? You shouldn't even be out of bed, much less standing up!" he gasped, rushing to her side.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Avani said, smirking at her own brilliance. "Listen! Why don't you take these cuffs off so I can heal up?" she inquired, looking at his startled face. "Then, my powers will kick in and heal me and we won't have to deal with this. I can't believe I didn't think of this sooner!"

Loki visibly deflated at her words as he considered her idea. "There is a chance that it could work," he said skeptically. "But I'm not sure how your magic will react to mine. Yes, it could heal you, but it could also backfire horribly."

"What do you mean?" she asked, eyes narrowing.

"Avani, your magic and mine are very different. Have you ever been healed by someone else's magic?" he asked, continuing when she shook her head. "Part of being healed is having the patient's body accept the magic laid upon it. In your current state, there was nothing to fight my magic so it was easy to put healing spells on you. But, considering the volatile nature of your power, I'm not certain how the two would react. Your magic could overpower and wipe mine out, but it could also have severe backlash, stunting your own magic and abilities. I'm not sure. Unfortunately, there is little known of demons beyond their own realm and I have never heard of a half-demon, like yourself, that has ever survived to adulthood. Usually, the demon blood overpowers the human and acts like a poison, forcing the body to attack and destroy itself, making a study of half-demon physiology and medicine difficult." While all of this was true, Loki had another motivation for putting a damper on this idea. He really just didn't want to have to let her go, and once she was free of the cuffs, she would be difficult to keep.

Avani's face fell in disappointment. "I see . . ." she said, voice low. "I suppose you're right."

"I'm sorry," Loki said, somewhat relieved that she had given up the idea. "Now, as long as you are up, _even though you shouldn't be_, I brought clothes for you to change into. I'll get them," he finished, leaving the bathroom briefly to retrieve the cloths he had set aside for her. She was surprised to see her own clothes in his hands.

"Did you go to my house?" she demanded, angry at his invasion.

Loki looked back unabashed and replied, "Yes, I did. I thought you might prefer to have your own clothes, though, if you would like, I can give you some of my clothes. I'm sure you would look charming in one of my shirts, Kitten." Loki leered at her, enjoying the idea.

"No, I would rather have my own clothes," she said quickly. "I'm just surprised that you could find my house and that you actually went there." Loki set her clothes down on the counter as Avani looked at him, waiting for him to leave. He didn't. "I hope you don't think I'm going to let you help me change," she said, seriously.

"Well, frankly, I don't see how you'll be able to change _without_ my assistance," he replied, smirking a bit.

_To be Continued . . ._

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Okay, so right off the bat, I'm going to apologize. I know this was a pretty boring chapter (trust me, I wrote it), but I had to explain how they continued to have fresh water and why they didn't have to go potty in the woods and all that just so there weren't any weird, unexplained conveniences in the story. If it's any consolation, the next chapters should be much more interesting, just bear with me. I've already started on chapter 16. Thanks for reading. Reviewing is also awesome, the longer the review the better. Please let me know if there were any grammatical errors or inconsistencies!


	16. Chapter 16

Hello again! So, here's chapter 16. Thank you to .dolphins and Dontgotaclue88 for the reviews.

"It is cruel, you know, that music should be so beautiful. It has the beauty of loneliness, of pain, of strength and freedom. The beauty of disappointment and never-satisfied love. The cruel beauty of nature and everlasting beauty of monotony." – Benjamin Britten

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Chapter 16

Avani sighed as she laid back down in bed, feeling refreshed for having been able to get into some clean clothes. _Even if I had to have help to do it_, she thought ruefully. That had been a mortifying experience and one that she was not anxious to repeat. He had been polite, careful not to make her feel any more uncomfortable than was absolutely necessary. He had even turned away when she had changed bras, only clasping and unclasping the latches for her once she had everything covered. Then he had carried her back to bed, heedless of her insistence that she was tired of lying around all day, that she had slept more in the last three days than she usually did in a week. So there she was, stuck in bed. Loki had even gone so far as to put an alarm spell on her that would automatically notify him if she got out of bed. Not that that was necessary since he hadn't left the room for longer than a minute since this morning.

She sighed again, loudly, and Loki looked up from the book he had been reading, a piece he had collected many, many years ago that he thought may hold some information on the demon race. As of yet, though, he had been unable to find anything. "If you're so bored, perhaps you would like to stop ignoring me?" he said, referring to her behavior after he had returned her to the bed. She was trying to punish him via 'the silent treatment,' which may have worked on a less patient man. In his case, however, he had plenty of time to wait her out. It wasn't like she was going anywhere.

"Fine. I'm bored out of my mind. Give me something to keep me entertained," she demanded, sounding very much like a petulant child. He smiled.

"I think I may have something that would hold your interest," he said, setting down his book and walking to the wardrobe to dig through his armor. He retrieved the music device that she had hidden from him a few nights before and held it up for her inspection. "Would this do?" he asked. "I also brought some books that you had at home."

"Yeah, that would work," she said, a smile gracing her face at the return of the iPod, something she considered an old friend. She had others, because she always kept spares, but this particular one she always took with her on missions. That thing had been through hell with her and she was glad to see that it was undamaged. Loki smiled in return at her enthusiasm but did not hand the music player over to her.

"I would be happy to give this to you, but I want something in return," he said, watching her smile quickly vanish to be replaced by a frown and a skeptical look.

"What do you want this time?" she asked, debating on whether or not the iPod was worth it. She _was_ really bored.

"Not much. Just to talk, really. After seeing your home, I have been reminded that we know very little about each other. Even if you are familiar with Norse mythology, little of that is truly accurate, and you have managed to keep your past quite secret for the most part," he replied, looking at her brilliant blue eyes. Avani stared back at him, searching his eyes for some indication of what he was after. All she could find was sincerity, no secrets in his gaze. It didn't sound like an unreasonable request, really.

"Well, what do you want to talk about?" she asked, curious.

"We could talk about anything. What you like to do, where you grew up, your interests. Whatever you like," Loki said, his deep voice welcoming and gentle. Avani sighed again, thinking it over. There could be no harm in telling him some of her interests, some of her past, but what if he pressed further than that? There were things that she had shared with no one, memories that were painful, memories that were sacred.

"Hm, where to start?" she said, thinking aloud.

"I noticed you had many instruments at your home," Loki said helpfully, giving her a jumping off point.

"Yeah, you bet. Music is part of life, especially in New Orleans. For New Orleanians, music is in our blood. When I wandered, and I did for a long time, I went as a musician. Musicians are welcome everywhere, sort of like bards," she said, trying to give him something that he could relate to. He nodded, urging her to continue. "I learned to play a wide variety of instruments, while I was wandering around. Everywhere I went, if I saw a new instrument, I learned to play it. It was fun. I met a lot of people that way, people from all walks of life. I also managed to earn enough money to make a decent living and keep moving. I got to see the world that way."

"Which instruments were your favorite?" he asked, happy to have her talking to him. She had a pleasant voice, deep for a woman. It was a cultured voice, an educated one, despite her fondness for cursing.

"The piano was my first instrument. That was my official trade when I was a child. I still love the piano, but I also like the guitar. You saw the one hanging above my bed?" she turned to him, meeting his gaze. He nodded. She smiled fondly at the memory of the old instrument. "Believe it or not, that thing is two and a half centuries old. It's been restored and repaired more times than I can count, updated as time went on. I carried that guitar everywhere with me when I traveled. It's been to old Greek ruins and St. Peter's Basilica. It's seen parts of Africa that have never been and never will be discovered and entertained tribes in South America that have remained unchanged for a thousand years."

"Do you still play? Or are you too busy being a hero?" Loki's eyes were sharp on her, soaking up all that he was telling her.

"No, I don't play much anymore," she said, frowning.

"Why not?" Loki said, surprised at the sudden change in her mood. She had seemed rather happily only a moment ago and now she looked grave, sad even.

"As I traveled, I trained myself, learning to harness my powers, testing my limits and then surpassing them. I . . ." she trailed off, unsure of how to continue. Loki waited, watching as she seemed to stare off into space, seeing something that wasn't there. "Did you know that, in hell, there are different types of demon?"

"No, I was unaware. As I said, there is little known of the demon world."

"There are. When the rebel angels were cast from heaven, they underwent a change. Their wings burned, leaving behind only scaly shadows of their once beautifully feathered wings. Their spines grew, leaving behind a tail, and horns burst from their skulls. The tail was to symbolize Lucifer's trickery in the garden of Eden, the horns to show that he will collect the goats, the unrepentant sinners, while God will gather the sheep. Their fingernails changed, forming claws, and their teeth became fangs, to symbolize the hungry beasts that they had become. Those things sound familiar?" she asked him, referring to her own physical transformation.

She continued. "Those fallen angels became the first demons, the founding fathers, with Lucifer as their leader and king. In an effort to increase their population, they bred with each other, giving birth to demons that had never known the taste of heaven, demons who were raised with a hatred for the God that cast their parents from paradise and for the humans who, they believe, caused it. The founding demons also created, through magic, lesser demons. Servants, really. They needed soldiers to serve in their armies, guards to manage the fiery pits where the sinners paid for eternity. This gave rise to many different kinds of demon.

"There are elemental demons, animal demons, mixes, all kinds, each with different talents. However, the original demons and their progeny maintained the powers that the angels possessed. One of those powers is the ability to control others by channeling magic through music. The angels have it, and with it compose heavenly praises for God and spread his word, but the fallen angels use it too, ensnaring mortals with their song. As I traveled, my powers grew, that power along with them. It grew beyond my control though. I would stop an entire city block with my music, ensnaring them completely with my song. It caused chaos and it drew too much attention. It was too tempting a power. It was so easy to capture their minds, to overpower their will. I stopped playing because I became afraid that I might take advantage of that power one day. Haven't played since. Doesn't stop me from enjoying other people's music though," she said, glancing meaningfully at the iPod in his hands.

"Why do you deny yourself something you so obviously love for the sake of humans? They may like you now, but I know that has not always been so and that may change again, should the humans decide that people like you, like your friends, are too dangerous to be allowed to run about freely. Why do you suffer to protect them?" he asked, his green eyes focused on her in bewilderment.

"You talk like the humans are so different from you and I. They aren't. They have hopes and ambitions; they feel just like we do. They struggle in their daily lives against obstacles and adversities, like we do. The only difference is where they're from and what they can do. They aren't as strong as either of us, but that doesn't give them less of a right to live, especially when we can coexist," she paused. "I protect them because the humans you look down on are my neighbors and my friends. I protect them because I don't see the differences you do. I only see the similarities."

Loki sat, contemplating her answer. He could see in her eyes the steel of her will, the certainty of what she felt for the humans. He decided to change the subject, seeing that there would be no arguing with her on the subject. "Does your music affect nonhumans? Are demons also susceptible?" he asked.

"If a demon possesses the power, they aren't at risk. And there are ways for other demons to fight it off, though it's difficult to do. I am somewhat susceptible, because I am only half-demon. I've always been able to ignore it," she paused, thinking. "I'm not sure how susceptible nonhumans like you and Thor are. I would imagine that the susceptibility would depend on the strength of your mind and will. There are probably some humans that should be able to ignore it also, though a lot of them are happy to be caught up in a demon's song."

"I see," Loki said, thinking. "Would you sing for me sometime, then?" Avani looked startled by the question.

"Ha!" she laughed. "Not until these cuffs are off, so I can sing properly. You know, that way you can get the full experience,"

"I hope you don't think you could ensnare me so easily," he joked, laughing.

"As I said, there are those who wish to be ensnared . . . I think you may overestimate your own willpower," Avani replied seriously. Loki noticed how the light streaming in the windows above the bed made her eyes turn a sort of aquamarine, revealing small flecks of light green that he had not known were there. Her white hair seemed to glow in the sunlight, shining a bright, pure silver while her skin remained golden. He leaned in towards her, lost in her eyes. If her song was anything like her eyes, then he may be in trouble.

"Perhaps you're right," he breathed. "My willpower does seem to . . . falter around you, dear," he closed the gap between them, gently pressing his lips against hers. She placed a hand on his chest, not really pushing against him, but putting it there as a just-in-case measure. Avani was surprised to find herself relaxing into the kiss, enjoying his touch. When he drew back, releasing her lips, she blushed under his intense gaze.

"Why do you keep doing that," she asked, looking away. _And why do I allow it?_

He laughed and smiled, his face lighting up. "Because it's _fun_."

"Up yours," she growled, thrusting out her hand. "I think I've earned my iPod back, huh?"

"Is that what you call this thing?" he said, observing it, turning it this way and that. Upon seeing her aggravated look, he handed it over, thinking that it was about time for lunch anyway. He stood, taking his book with him. "I'm going to make lunch. Is there anything in particular you would like?" he asked as she placed small objects that were connected to the device in her ears. She shook her head, saying that whatever would be fine. "Very well," he said walking to the door. "Remember, you are to stay in bed." He gave her a stern look. She rolled her eyes in response and turned the iPod on, tuning him out. Once he left the room, Avani allowed her good hand to clench, her knuckles turning white as she bit her lip against the aching pain that had been developing since she had awoken.

* * *

Lunch was a simple affair, not unlike breakfast. The chicken that Loki had cooked was delicious, juicy and tender, and it was accompanied by corn and mashed potatoes. Once again, he had her eat her fill, and then urged – or threatened – her into eating one more plate. He gathered the dishes together and washed them and soon joined her back in the bedroom, pouring over different books as she listened to her music. She shut the iPod off though, wanting to save the battery, and turned to him. He looked up from his book, raising his eyebrows at her sudden attention.

"Can we go outside or something?" she asked, bored of being inside for so long. He closed the book and set it aside.

"Outside?" he said. Avani rolled her eyes at him.

"Yeah, outside. You know, beyond this room you've kept me in. I'm _dying_ in here," She said, motioning towards the door into the kitchen.

"That's quite an exaggeration, don't you think?" Loki laughed at her. "Besides, I'm not sure you're well enough yet to venture out that far."

"Oh, come on! People break limbs all the time, and they get to go outside! Aren't you tired of being inside all day?"

"Not really. I haven't seen many of these books in a few thousand years so I'm quite happy to have a chance to become reacquainted with them," Loki responded, indicating the books he had brought in the bedroom to read. He looked back at her to see her bottom lip protruding slightly, her blue eyes pleading. How was he supposed to resist that look? He sighed. "Let me check your bandages and reapply some medicine. Something for the pain, also? Then, we'll see, alright. I'm not making any promises." She smiled hopefully.

Loki went to the closet and retrieved the medicine bag, setting it on the chair he usually occupied. He pulled out fresh bandages and the medicines he kept, handing the medicine pots to Avani when she eyed them curiously. She brought one to her nose and sniffed it delicately, taking in the familiar scents of poppy flower and chamomile. "That's for your bruises," he said, taking it back from her. "Another two days with this and most of your bruises will be gone. Your bruised ribs are going to need more time though."

"I gathered that much," she replied, a sarcastic bite in her words. Loki started with her head wound, unwrapping the gauze to apply more salve to the gash.

"This is to keep your cuts from getting infected and to help them heal more quickly. It also helps some with the pain," he told her as he tended her. "It looks like it's healing well. Only a few more days and it'll be gone." He picked up the pot of bruise balm again and gently applied some to her cheek. She watched him carefully as he did so. His face looked drawn, his eyes guarded. Then he moved down to the bruises on her neck, carefully rubbing the balm into her skin. She could feel the coolness she associated with his healing power soaking into her skin, easing the soreness of the bruises. She tensed when he reached to pull back the covers and he glanced at her, asking for her permission. Avani nodded, signaling for him to continue, a bit embarrassed by her automatic reaction.

Loki pulled the covers back, slowly inching her sleeping shirt up to show her purple and green torso. She hissed a bit as he applied the balm to the bruising, bringing her good hand to her mouth to bite down on the first knuckle of her index finger. "Sorry," he said guiltily, slowing his movements in an effort to ease the pain.

"Don't worry about it. As long as this stuff works, whatever," Avani replied roughly. He nodded and continued to massage the bruise balm into her skin. He couldn't help but notice how thin she was, even with a few good meals in her. Her stomach was toned and lean, leading down into full hips and leading up to beautiful, round . . . Avani's glare caught his attention, apparently she had been following his gaze. He ducked his head, fighting the blush that was rising on his cheeks at having been caught, finishing up with her ribs and pulling her shirt back down. He then moved down towards the foot of the bed, gently pulling her pant legs up to her thighs. Her pajama pants were very loose and he couldn't help but notice that they also rode low on her hips.

_Focus_, Loki thought. First, he took care of the scrapes she had gotten on her knees and on her left leg, applying salve and rewrapping them, satisfied with their progress. Then he turned his attention to her other leg. It had been completely shattered when he had found her in the cave, and he had managed to piece it back together and heal it a bit. He left the leg wrapped, only checking at either ends of the bandages for swelling or sign of infection. There was none, so he left it alone, trusting his spells to do their work. Her ankle and broken arm were much the same. "Well, what's the verdict?" she asked hopefully.

He looked at her bright eyes and her hopeful smile and found himself sighing. "I suppose that it wouldn't hurt to go outside for some fresh air," he said. He smiled as he saw her eyes light up with excitement as a brilliant smile spread across her face. "But, you have to take it easy. I'll set up a place for us and we can sit outside, but no getting up or over-exerting yourself, do you understand?" he asked, his green eyes serious. She nodded, still smiling excitedly. He couldn't help but smile in return, his heart warming. "Alright, give me a moment to find a spot for us and put out a blanket, then I'll come get you."

"YES!" Avani shouted, pumping her fist in the air at the admittedly small victory. Loki laughed at her enthusiasm, though he worried a bit that she might do just as he had warned her not to and over-exert herself. He retrieved a large quilt from the top shelf of the closet and walked outside, surveying the meadow around the cabin. He walked around, looking for a good spot where they could sit with the sun shine to warm them. It was a little too chilly out to sit in the shade. He spread the blanket out on small hill and walked back to the cabin to retrieve Avani.

The smile never left her face as he picked her up, wrapping her in a soft blanket, and carried her out into the bright afternoon sunlight. He set her down softly on the quilt, making sure she was tightly wrapped in the blanket before taking a seat beside her. "Are you okay to sit up on your own?" he asked worriedly. "Do you need something to lean on?"

"No, I'm fine," she replied, smiling at him and looking around the meadow.

He smirked a bit. "Well, if you get tired, do not hesitate to lean on me, dear. Or if you get cold, I'll happily warm you up," he said, as he leered at her suggestively.

She looked at him as if to say _are you serious?_ Avani turned her face back to the sun, soaking up its warmth. She sighed contentedly, basking in the sun like a satisfied feline. "This is great!" she said.

He looked at her questioningly. Sure, being outside was nice and all, but was it really that amazing? "Do you really like being outside that much?" he asked. She turned back to him, unable to ignore how his eyes matched the brilliant green of the meadow.

"Of course, I do, I love being outside. Don't you?" she responded, unable to look away from his beautiful eyes.

"I suppose," he replied, not sounding nearly excited as she was. "I spent much of my time growing up in the Great Library of Asgard, reading everything I could get my hands on, learning. It seemed every time I ventured out, my brother showed up to challenge me to a contest of brute strength or gloat to me of his latest victory. So I just kept inside mostly, away from him and the rest of my family." He was surprised to see a flicker of sadness in her eyes, though she hid it away as soon as it came, looking away from him.

"That's too bad. You know why I like being outside, Loki?" she asked him, looking at the nature around him, listening for the chirp of birds in the trees. He shook his head, his long black hair catching the sunlight. "Because I _can_ go outside. I spent years locked up under Laveau's thumb. She kept me hidden in the basement, away from the other slaves and from the rest of the world, letting me out only to help her with voodoo spells. I didn't see real sunlight until I was six years old, when I escaped her for a time and made it out to the street. It blinded me for a long time, but I just couldn't get enough after that," she told him, a grim smile on her face.

"Who was Laveau?" he asked, unable to help himself. _What kind of a monster could keep a child locked in the dark for so many years?_ he thought.

"My father's servant, essentially, Marie Laveau. Thanks to her, my father was able to impregnate a human woman, my mother. When my mother's husband tried to off me, she found me and raised me, trying to mold me into my father's perfect slave. Needless, to say, it didn't work. Eventually, I got away from her completely," Avani said, really wanting to turn the conversation to some other subject. She was surprised to find herself, tiring quickly of sitting up. _How did I get so weak?_ "It doesn't matter anymore. She's long dead and my father is sealed in another dimension. There's not much he can do from there."

Loki was silent for a time, mulling over this new insight into her early life. It was a cruel past that he had not expected. She possessed such a strong and fierce spirit, uncrushed, unshadowed. To think that her spirit grew out of the darkness was surprising. "Before you escaped, how did you . . . how did you come to think that you _could_ escape? That there could be something different out there for you?"

"Well, I figured anywhere was better than where I was, so I left. Not that hard when you've got nothing to stay for."

"Then why do you like humans?" he demanded, confused by her simple answer. "That was a human that mistreated you, so why care about them?"

"They aren't _all_ alike, Loki," Avani responded. She was tired of talking about her past and he was getting too close to something she wasn't ready to share. "Do we have to talk about this?"

"No, we don't have to," Loki replied, allowing the subject to drop. If she wasn't ready to tell him yet, then maybe she would be eventually. He scooted closer to her, moving in so that she could lean back against his chest. He pulled her gently against him, for once in his life just enjoying being outside and holding someone. He could feel her relax against him and he rested his chin on her shoulder, basking in the simple intimacy.

_To be Continued . . ._

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Alright, here is chapter 16, hope you liked it. More exciting than last chapter, huh? She and Loki are getting to know each other, which is nice. I don't have a whole lot more to say than that . . . so see you next time!


	17. Chapter 17

Hello again, everyone! I'm sorry I've taken so long to update. I've got a job now, which is awesome, but I don't have time or energy to update every two days anymore. I have also been working on moving to a different city, and I'm sure you understand how stressful moving is! Anyway, I think I'll be able to manage weekly updates from now on. Thank you to .dolphins, Dontgotaclue88, Azura Soul Reaver, Oneofshadows, Anonymous, Savysnape7, CherryBlossomTrinity, Guest (whoever you are), and xxyangxx2006 for the reviews! Thank you also to the many people who have set alerts on this story or added it to their favorites. However, I have a question for you guys: why not send me a review? The review doesn't have to be lengthy or anything, but it would be nice to get more reviews from you guys. By the way, I'm watching Balto right now . . . I can't work in silence. Oh, I've also basically got the whole story planned now, so I guess it's just a matter of getting this stuff on paper. We're about halfway through, I guess. So I have a question for you guys (and you'll have to review to answer!). When the time comes, and it will eventually, do you guys want a lemon in here, or would you prefer to leave that out? Alright, here's a quote:

"All right, they're on our left, they're on our right, they're in front of us, they're behind us... they can't get away this time." When Surrounded By 8 Enemy Divisions During WW2 – Chesty Puller.

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Chapter 17

Loki and Avani stayed out in the meadow for hours, talking only occasionally, but resting mostly in a companionable silence. Loki didn't comment on her weakness, nor did he suggest that they go back inside. She seemed so happy to be outside and as long as she allowed him to support her so that she didn't exhaust herself, then he was fine with the situation. The lingering weakness worried him a bit, though she had grown stronger since the day before. He suspected that her body was still so accustomed to healing quickly that it was trying to do so now, even though it didn't have the power for it. In the absence of Avani's abilities, it was using her energy to speed the healing process along. _I suppose that is not too much of a problem,_ he thought, resting his chin on her shoulder and taking in her scent. She was still focused on the meadow, taking in the trees and sky and clouds as if she had never seen them before. The sun was beginning to set and the temperature dropped steadily.

"The sunset is great out here," Avani commented, watching it set beyond the tree line in a blaze of pinks and oranges. Loki was fascinated by the glow it gave her skin. This time outside had been good for her, returning a healthy glow to her skin that he hadn't realized was missing. He glanced at the setting sun, acknowledging that it was a beautiful sight. He didn't miss the small shiver that shook her.

"We should head in," he said. "It's going to get cold out here." Loki stood, gathering Avani in his arms, blanket and all.

"Aw, come on," she protested, a small whine entering her voice. "It's not _that _cold!"

Loki laughed. "Perhaps not yet, but it will be soon. Besides, it's time for dinner and then bed. You're tired," he replied, walking back to the cabin.

"I'm not tired . . ." Avani responded as Loki entered the cabin and went to lay her down in the bedroom. "Can I at least sit at the table like a normal person? Breakfast in bed is nice and all, but it gets old." He stopped midstride, considering the idea. Her deep blue eyes blinked up at him pleadingly.

He sighed, saying, "Fine. We'll sit at the table. And you're going to eat _everything_ I give you in exchange, right? No whining about being full?" Loki looked at her with a serious expression, though his playful green eyes betrayed him.

"Right," Avani drawled, her face equally serious. He pulled out a chair for her and set her down, carefully propping her broken leg up on another chair with a cushion. He stoked the fire in the fireplace, warming the cabin.

"I was thinking that we might have the left over stew for dinner. How does that sound?" he asked her, walking to the kitchen.

"Sounds great," she replied absently, looking around at the kitchen and living room. She sat facing the kitchen and living room, her back to the wall. The fireplace was stone and flanked by large shelves on either side, the shelves filled with books. A large white fur rug lay before the fire, accompanied by a large couch. The frame of the couch was wooden beams, covered in plush cushions and blankets. The kitchen was small, but functional, like the rest of the cabin. The cabinets were stained a light blonde, brightening the kitchen. Loki worked with his back to her, summoning fire to warm a large pot (she assumed it was the stew). Now that she could observe him without getting caught, she couldn't help but notice the way the casual green top hugged his body, showing the strong, wiry muscles in his back. His shoulders were broad, his chest narrowing into his waist. Long legs lead up to a firm ass, one that she had no trouble admiring. He was an excellent specimen, really.

Loki smirked a bit and fought the urge to turn around and catch Avani as she stared at him. Apparently she didn't realize that he could see her reflection in the window before him as she eyed him, her blue eyes half-lidded. He continued to warm the stew, observing how she would tear her eyes away from him to look around before that sapphire blue gaze inevitably returned to him. Finally, without turning around, he asked, "See anything you like?"

Avani spluttered a bit, embarrassed about being caught when she realized that he had seen her watching him. "Th–this is a very nice cabin," she said lamely, blushing and turning away from him. He turned around, leaning against the counter as he crossed his arms.

"Couldn't come up with anything better than that?" Loki responded, smiling. She brought a hand to her face, wishing she could just disappear at the moment. "No need to be shy, kitten. You are welcome to look. I may even let you touch, if you ask nicely," he said, laughing at her. She growled and blushed even more brightly, her cheeks becoming a rosy red. "How cute. Are you going to blush like that every time I say something suggestive? I hope so. It's very fun."

"Don't you have a stew to warm up or something?" Avani retorted, glaring at him. He raised his hands in a "don't shoot" sort of motion, turning back to the stew. He shook his hips teasingly at her, enjoying her gasp of indignation. When the stew was ready, he carried the large pot over to the table and sat it down on a heat pad, preserving his nice wood table from being burned by the hot bottom. Then he retrieved the bread and a pitcher of milk with two glasses before filling two bowls with stew. Avani dug into hers eagerly, the blush still present on her face.

Loki quickly took a seat to Avani's left, careful not to disturb her leg. He agreed when Avani commented that stew was always better the second day, but they ate in silence besides that. They finished the bread, which was great dipped in the stew, and Loki convinced Avani to finish the rest of the stew. She rolled her eyes at him but obliged, slouching in her chair when she was done. Her eyelids were heavy as Loki carried her to the bathroom, letting her brush her teeth and use the facilities before putting her back in bed.

"I'm not ready to go to bed, Loki," she protested as he pulled the covers up to her shoulders.

"Too bad. You're going to bed whether you like it or not," Loki replied, dimming the lamp beside the bed. He leaned over her, smirking down at her angry expression. "Oh, don't be so mad. You can't scare me," he said, placing a bold kiss on her lips. Her expression remained mulish. "Let me try that again," he joked, looking for the bright smile he was fast becoming used to. He kissed her again, more deeply, before releasing her lips and planting small kisses on her cheeks and nose until she finally smiled, her face lighting up even as she pushed him off.

"You're awful," she informed him, trying to school her expression. He smiled at her, happy to see that she was warming to him.

"Careful, I might start thinking that you like me," Loki said. "Now try to go to sleep." He heard Avani sigh heavily as he left the room, a silly smile sneaking on to his face. He returned to the kitchen, taking care of the dishes before settling onto the couch for some more reading.

* * *

Avani sighed to find herself back in the swamp. She began to pole towards the demon's prison, surprised when she found that there was a new and unfamiliar canal along the route. It led off around a corner, twisting away into the bayou beyond her sight. She thought about going to explore, but decided to check the demon first. Reaching its prison, she found that the seals were still in place. The beast snarled at her, being its usual nasty self. She was quick to check the bindings. About halfway through her circuit, she felt herself being pulled, forced from her mind into a world not of her own, a familiar world.

"Have you enjoyed your rest, daughter?" her father asked, appearing from the desert. He appeared again to look like her, more because it amused him to remind her of their shared cursed blood than anything else. The desert stretched out before them, missing the sand dunes that had populated it before, leaving only dry cracked earth.

"I would enjoy it more if you would leave me to it," she responded, her voice emotionless. She did not approach him, hoping that he might grow bored of her soon. Lucifer continued to circle her, his hands clasped behind his back. He was dressed in a modern suit this time, expensive leather shoes leaving no trace, making no sound, as he walked. His long white blonde hair was pulled into a low ponytail again. The sun bore down on him, though he looked refreshed. A dry wind howled around them.

"How long must I come to you, before you finally acquiesce to your dear father's wishes? An errant child causes her father much grief, tearing at his heart," Lucifer stated, coming to take her arm and lead her on another hellish walk.

"How melodramatic. Get that from the Bible?" Avani deadpanned, unimpressed. "What does it say in matters where the father has no heart to tear?" Lucifer said nothing, merely taking her hand and leading her again into the desert. No visions appeared this time, no grand kingdoms stretching across the horizon. The familiar burning sensation that accompanied his touch bloomed across her hand.

"What shall we talk about today, daughter? Shall we discuss how your brother's fare? How your mother continues to enjoy the consequences of dealing with those that God loves not? Or perhaps we can talk about your courtship and suitor?" Lucifer laughed at this, apparently amused at the thought.

"I don't give a damn about my brothers or my mother and there is no 'courtship' to speak of. He's just a little delusional, thinking such things, as are you. Oops, I suppose we have run out of things to talk about. May as well let me return to my business then."

"Ah, perhaps you are right. Maybe I'm just remembering a time when a man caring for and flirting with a woman, as a suitor, was called courtship," Lucifer glanced at her, his eyes full of cold humor. She snorted in response, annoyed. "Is that a 'no' on the subject, then? Well, I think you might be interested to know that your brothers would like to kill you. They feel that you are becoming too much of a threat to our operations. Your eldest brother, Baghul, is particularly fervent. I think he may realize that you present a more personal threat to him. Mephisto remains a great admirer of yours, though. He wishes your suitor best of luck and promises to visit when he finds the time."

"How kind of him. Surely there is plenty in hell to keep that lunatic busy," she growled, thinking of the last time she had met her second oldest brother. He was a strange guy, excited and mysterious and crazy. He also seemed to have no sense of personal space, and he was really just plain creepy.

"Hm, yes. There are many preparations to be handled and I have placed Mephisto in charge of such things," Lucifer responded almost absently, making Avani suspicious. He said _nothing_ absently, every word, every action was calculated, considered, and carefully chosen to achieve a desired effect. She waited for him to continue. "There is a war coming, daughter. Soon, I will open a portal to earth and my army will march to victory, conquering God's pathetic humans, those he has chosen and those who have turned from him. Then, there will be no barrier between us, nothing to protect you from my punishments. What will you do then? Where will you stand?" He stopped, his blue eyes finding hers. She saw in them darkness, emptiness, hopelessness. They seemed to hold eternity in them, an eternity of loneliness and crushing despair. Her chest felt heavy as those feelings weighed on her, but she held his gaze doggedly.

"I will fight. This is the course I have chosen and there is no threat you can make that will change that," Avani said, her voice clear and determined, expressing more strength than she really had. A light entered her eyes, bright and fiery. "Bring your army, if you can. I will destroy it and you, given the chance."

Lucifer chuckled, the sound dark and humorless. His blue eyes turned an icy blue, glowing unnaturally bright. "How can you even think of defeating me when you can't even get up on your own? Perhaps what you need is a reminder that even you, the strongest of my children, have a limit that you cannot surpass." He clutched her hand in a bone breaking grip and Avani growled sharply as white lightning sparked around his hand, stinging her skin. Lucifer laughed as the lightning grew, consuming her quickly in a blinding light. Her muscles seized up, tormented by the electricity. She gasped at the pain, her heart beating too fast, too heavily. Every beat hurt. She clutched her chest at the pain, unable to wrench her hand from her father's grip.

As Lucifer attacked her body, he also attacked her mind, breaking in where he had never been able to invade before. He was growing stronger. Images burned into her brain of dark wraiths and pale, skinny demons feasting upon humans. The humans were eaten little by little, kept alive for as long as possible as monster played with intestines and body parts, tormenting their victims. Faces became clear as he dove further into her mind. Banner screamed in agony in the clutch of a thin and cruel demon that stabbed him again and again while Natasha and Clint were tossed into nets of barbed wire and thorns. Others howled to her, begging for her to help them, to save them. And she couldn't. She couldn't move to help herself, let alone the people who needed her. This was hell and she couldn't escape it.

* * *

Loki looked up with a start as he heard rustling from the bedroom. It sounded as if Avani was trying to get out of bed or something, which worried him. He set aside the book and rushed to the bedroom, prepared to scold her. He found the she was still asleep, but her forehead was wrinkled with distress as she bit her bottom lip. As Loki approached, he noticed that she had bit her lip so hard that she was bleeding. Beneath the blankets her muscles were clenched tightly, her body almost arching off the bed. He quickly found her hand under the sheets and held it as he tried to wake her. She thrashed a bit in her sleep, whimpering at his touch as she tried to jerk away from him. "Avani, wake up, it's just a dream, it's just a dream," he said, his voice soothing.

After a minute or two, she jolted awake, her eyes flying open as she gasped for air. Loki waited for her to calm as her wild blues eyes searched the room around her for whatever terrors had haunted her sleep. Her eyes clenched shut as she grimaced painfully, her muscles remaining tense. Her broken limbs felt like they were burning from the inside as the muscles pulled and pushed at the broken and tender bones. Loki quickly retrieved some pain medication. He uncapped a vial, holding it gently to her lips. "This will help," he said, urging her to drink. She opened her eyes a bit, meeting his gaze before allowing him to pour the potion into her mouth. She forced herself to swallow the sour concoction and closed her eyes again, focusing on relaxing.

Loki took a seat at her bedside, waiting as she struggled against the pain. Finally, as the minutes passed by, she relaxed enough to open her eyes and look at him. She looked so tired and hurt. He was surprised at the pain this caused him, seeing her suffer. "Thanks," Avani said, taking a deep breath. He took her hand, glad to feel it relaxed in his grip and not stiff as it had been before.

"What caused that?" he asked. The fit was strange and the fact that it had distressed Avani so much was even stranger. She stared at the wall in front of her, as if looking at something far in the distance. Suddenly, she snapped back from wherever her thoughts had taken her and she turned to him, her blue eyes sharper than they had ever been before, her face grave and serious. The lamp light cast harsh shadows on her face, making her appear like some shadow creature with unnaturally sharp cheekbones and glowing eyes.

"My father. He torments me as he pleases in my sleep and, in my weakened state, I . . . I am not able to recover so quickly from his visits," she said, looking away from him, having difficulty admitting weakness. She turned back to him, energy returning to her. "He's coming, Loki. I think he's found a way to enter this world, but I don't know how. He's been sealed away since he was cast from heaven, doomed to live in a forsaken land far from the humans that he hates. He said that he was raising his army . . ." Loki wasn't sure how to take this news. He knew that Avani was the daughter of Satan, Lucifer, the devil, but he didn't know much more beyond that.

"Your father . . . could he have been lying? If he's sealed away, how could he get here, much less bring an army with him?"

"There is always the possibility, I suppose," she said, thinking. "But I don't think he was. He wouldn't lie about something so important. As for how he'd get here . . . Things are changing here. First with Thor coming from Asgard, and now you and Thor and that 'army' of yours. He must have agents beyond his world that are creating a portal for him, maybe something like with the Tesseract, hell, he might be intending to use the Tesseract! And we're not ready, Loki." Her eyes seemed to bore into his. "We're not ready for the kind of war he would bring."

They sat in silence as Loki processed what Avani was telling him. She was restless and worried, he could see it in her face and body language. That she was so disturbed was unsettling. Even rendered powerless and held captive by the enemy, she had been unconcerned, cheerfully defiant, even. "Loki . . . when I'm healed, you have to let me go. There's work for me, if what my father said is true, and I can't leave my people to fend for themselves." Loki abruptly released her hand, sitting back and looking away from her. He looked defeated and frustrated all at the same time. His green eyes were cold and hard. "I think you owe me that much," Avani finished, her voice soft.

Loki glanced at her, his expression now unreadable. "Is that the price of your forgiveness, then? I release you and we may have a new start, of sorts?"

"Yes," Avani said. Really she'd have promised just about anything to him in exchange for her freedom, but this was something that it would be easy for her to give. "If you'll let me go, I'll forgive you."

Loki thought, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees and sitting with his hands clenched before him. "Very well. When you are healed, I will remove the cuffs," he said, though he felt his chest grow heavy with the words. His throat grew sore while his tongue seemed thick and his mouth dry. The smile he received in response was painful, though it softened her face and dispelled the sharp shadows that had darkened her expression. He stood preparing to dim the lights again and leave Avani to her rest.

"Wait," she said. "I don't want to sleep anymore."

"You want to get better, don't you? You need your rest then. Go to sleep," Loki responded, his voice emotionless.

"I'm not going back to sleep, Loki. Can I have a glass of water?" Avani asked, confused a bit by his sudden change in attitude and afraid of being left alone in the dark, while the demons she had seen were still fresh in her mind. _I mean, sure, he might be a little put out, but we both knew that I wasn't going to stay here _forever_ or anything. _Loki stopped dimming the lights and turned back to her.

"You know, when I was a child, I had terrible nightmares. I often did not want to go to sleep because I was afraid of what would be waiting for me in my dreams," he said, his face serious and deadly in the faint candle light from the lamp. The light brought shadows on his face, but his green eyes seemed even brighter for the darkness.

"I'm sorry to hear that," she said slowly, as if unsure of where he was going with this.

"Yes, I still find myself plagued by them, though different specters haunt me now. However, as a child, when my parents put me to bed, I would do everything I could to stall them. Ask for stories or a glass of water to stave off the need to sleep," Loki said, walking back towards her and sinking back into the chair beside the bed.

"I'm not _scared_, Loki. I'm a grown woman for god's sake! I'm just thirsty and I'm not tired anymore. I slept already," she gasped indignantly, her expression insulted.

"So if I get you a glass of water, you'll be fine to rest and maybe go back to sleep?"

"Yes."

"Alright," Loki answered, rising and fetching a glass of water. He handed it to Avani, watching as she drank it slowly. She glanced around. It took her a few minutes to finish it and hand it back to Loki as he waited patiently. He took the glass back and set it next to the nightstand before going to turn out the lights again. He didn't miss Avani anxious look but continued, waiting for her to say something.

"Wait," she said, watching the light disappear. Loki looked over at her waiting for her to continue. She looked around at the shadows that were emerging, remembering the horrible countenance of the starved demons that had plagued her dream. Their eyes were wide, staring and empty. Their bones stuck out from their parched white skin as they clutched and bit and pulled at their victims. She shuddered, trying to convince herself that it had only been a dream, a creation of Lucifer's imagination and nothing _real_. At least, not yet. "Please leave the light on."

Loki stopped dimming the light and came back to sit by her bedside. "Why do you want the light on? You never showed any fear of the dark before," he said, his curiosity sparked.

She looked blankly ahead for a moment, that far off look returning to her eyes. "I just don't want to be in the dark right now. Isn't that good enough?"

"No. If I'm going to stay up with you, I at least want to know why."

"I didn't ask you to stay up with me! I'm fine, just leave the light on."

He looked at her, an eyebrow rising. She frowned at that look. "You don't honestly think I'm going to leave you all alone when you are obviously upset? How else can I seduce you into my loving embrace if not by offering comfort in your time of need?" he finished, gesturing and spreading his arms dramatically while giving her a humorously suggestive look. She couldn't help but laugh a bit at his attempt to lighten the mood. He smiled, white teeth flashing in the lamp light.

"Sorry, Romeo, but I really doubt you're going to sweep me off my feet. I've had over 200 years of practice resisting the charms of men like yourself," she replied, a smile curving her lips.

"Why do people always say such things? There are _no men like me_. However, I feel I must warn you: I have had _thousands_ of years worth of practice charming stubborn women and I am more than a fair hand at the art of seduction, dear."

"Well, clearly I am way out of my league. Should I just fall into your arms right now or wait a bit and play hard to get?"

"Just now, I'd rather that you tell me what has you so disturbed over your dream," Loki said, watching her intently. They sat in silence for a moment as Avani gathered her thoughts.

"I'm used to Lucifer messing me. That's nothing out of the ordinary. But tonight, he was able to invade my mind, something even you couldn't do. He's getting stronger, and I'm getting weaker with these cuffs on. He broke into my mind and found those people that I hold most dear, the people that I really care about, and while he attacked my body, he showed me those people being tortured and hurt and there wasn't a damned thing I could do about it. I had to just sit there and listen to them cry for me and watch them get hurt because I love them, because my father knows that hurting them hurts me," Avani said, her mind summoning back those awful images. "If Lucifer does, somehow, make it here, he's going to go after them first. And I don't know if I'm strong enough to stop him."

Loki sat quietly, understanding Avani's feelings better now. She was the sort of person who could handle physical pain easily. Emotional pain was a different matter to her. "And the light helps to chase those images away," he said looking down at his hands, connecting strongly with this. He still woke in a cold sweat from a nightmare of falling back into the cold darkness of space, of cruel and distant worlds. She nodded.

They sat quietly for a moment, each lost in their own dark thoughts. "Well, this won't do," Loki said finally. "It feels like a funeral parlor in here. Tell me, what do you know of Norse mythology, of Asgard?"

Avani recalled some stories she had heard, mostly just in passing in books she had read. "Well, I do know that, according to mythology, you and Thor were brothers. You are a trickster, Odin is missing an eye, and there's a rainbow bridge or something like that. That's about it."

"I am a trickster, certainly. Thor never could match me in a battle of wits and he was an easy and rewarding target," Loki replied, launching into a humorous story to lift the oppressing mood in the room. "Did you know that one time, while Thor was . . ."

* * *

_To be Continued . . . _

There it is, chapter 17~! Sorry again for taking so long. I hope you enjoyed it! My updates should be more frequent from now on. Moving is time consuming, but the stress of it is just about over.


	18. Chapter 18

Alright, I'm going to start this off by saying I AM SO SORRY for taking so long. I'll be honest, what with starting college, etc., I've been lazy and unmotivated. Hopefully, I'm back on the bandwagon though. Those of you who have reviewed, thank you very much. You are the ones who convinced me to keep writing! So this chapter should get things moving.

Warnings: lemon – non con (sort of)

* * *

Chapter 18

Avani grimaced as Loki continued to ignore her. He stared steadily at the book he was reading, pretending as if she hadn't said anything at all. His demeanor was cool and unconcerned, green eyes flinty and sharp. "Loki, I'm healed. You have to let me go. You owe me that," she repeated, crossing her arms across her chest angrily. She walked from where she had been standing in the doorway to the bedroom and walked to stand directly in front of Loki, glaring down upon him, tapping her foot. Finally, he glanced up, looking uninterested though his heart beat strangely fast.

"Must we talk of this now? I'm reading," he sighed, acting nonchalant. He was surprised when she pulled the book from his hands, tossing it away and leaned down, bringing her face close to his. Those stunning blue eyes pierced him, their fury reminding him of the first time they had met. She may be human now, but she still had a devil's eyes.

"Yes, we must talk about this RIGHT NOW. The clock is ticking, Loki, and every second gives my father another moment to claw his way to earth, I can't be stuck here playing house with you. Take these cuffs off and take me back to Stark's tower," Avani stated, bottom lip pouty and chin stubborn as she glared down at him.

He smirked in response, pissing her off further. He hoped to hold off a little longer on letting her go, as he had agreed, since he was not yet entirely prepared for that eventuality. "Someone certainly is demanding. What's the rush? You obviously have no idea how difficult it is to travel across dimensions to other worlds. We've got decades, if your father ever does make it here at all."

"God damn it, Loki, you're not getting off the hook this time!" She yelled, pulling away from him abruptly and storming across the living room in a maelstrom of righteous fury. Her shoulder-length, white-blonde hair flowed behind her as she marched to the bedroom, pulling behind her a large suit case. "I'm packed and ready to go. I know you've had fun but I've got things to do. Come on, get up! Let's go."

_This is it_, Loki thought. His chest felt strangely heavy and constricted as he thought about how eager she was to leave. After their many weeks together, he had dared to hope that she might be more reluctant to leave him. Another part of him was nervous and excited, filling him with a thrilling surge of energy. _Don't give the game away, Loki_, he thought to himself. He sighed and stood, looking down sadly. "Very well. Give me a moment and we'll go."

Avani nodded, a strange look in her eyes. She pulled her suitcase over to the front door as Loki entered the bedroom and shut the door behind him. She tugged at the strands of her hair as she waited, frowning at the length. _I can't wait to get a haircut. This is so impractical._ Avani continued to tug on her locks as Loki finally exited the bedroom carrying a scepter topped with a polished black stone encircled with a sharp blade. He smiled sadly as their eyes met, playing the part of a repentant and cooperative man. Avani wasn't convinced.

"What's that for?" she asked, nodding to the scepter and eyeing it warily.

He feigned surprise at her question, as if he thought its purpose would be obvious. "This?" he replied, raising the scepter. "This is to help me focus my power for the transportation. Wouldn't want to end up in the middle of the ocean now, would we?" Loki said, laughing a little. "Well, let's be off. There's only a few hours of daylight left." He strode to the door, holding it open for her and sweeping his arm in a princely gesture. Avani grabbed her suitcase and exited, muttering her thanks as she exited. She saw Loki incline his head towards her politely as he followed behind, though she missed the grin that graced his features, white teeth flashing in glee.

They walked to the clearing near the cabin, Avani's steps long and quick. It was still difficult to keep up with Loki's longer strides, especially while pulling the bulky suitcase over clumps of grass and tree roots. Finally, Loki stopped and turned to her, fetching a small key from his pocket. He glanced at it before looking into her sapphire eyes that lit up in the sunlight. Her expression was no longer so eager or triumphant, a sort of solemn look shaping her features. Loki stepped to her, closing the distance between them rapidly and wrapping his arms around her. She startled a bit at the motion, but allowed him to hug her. She hugged him back, letting herself enjoy the embrace. _Next time we meet, we'll be enemies again. He can't be allowed to roam freely after all the destruction he has caused, the people he has killed._

When Loki stepped back, he gently took her hands, unlocking the cuffs. Avani growled happily to feel her power come back, the strength and grace returning to her limbs, her magic again taking up residence. He watched as those stunning blue eyes began to glow again, her nails sharpening as horns of blue flames graced her head. Dark wings burst from her back, stretching behind her. Her flame-tipped tail whipped back and forth energetically. She stretched luxuriously, quickly snatching the cuffs from him and stashing them in her pocket before resuming her human form for the transit back to civilization.

"Okay, what do I have to do for the transportation spell or whatever?" She asked, focusing back on Loki. He twirled the scepter in his hands, his normal clothing turning back into the armor he had worn for the battle.

"Well, my dear, there has an unfortunate change to the itinerary," he said, a smirk spreading across his face. His expression darkened with emotions Avani couldn't identify. Her gut twisted, nervous butterflies rising.

"Loki," she said sternly. "This is no time for joking around."

"Ah!" He said. "This is no joke, Avani. I agree that I owed it to you to remove your handcuffs, to give you the chance to fight me, but did you really believe that I would simply hand you over to those _fools_? You are my only prize from this attempt at conquest and I will not give you up easily. However, to be fair, I'm going to give you the chance to fight for your freedom." Loki continued to grin, an expression lacking compassion or kindness. Avani shuddered inside.

"Those were not our terms. Will you go back on your word so easily?"

"Those were your terms, Avani. My terms are different," he purred cooly.

Avani resumed her demon form, blue flames swirling in her anger and unease. "Don't do this, Loki. If I have to, I will beat you within an inch of your life and have no regrets for it," she replied, sounding tougher than she felt. Was he really going to do this? Where was the Loki she had gotten used to, the one who wanted to snuggle and read by the fire?

"You are welcome to try. Shall we name the conditions before we begin?" Loki's eyes glinted fiercely. "If you win, I will take you to Stark tower. If I win, I shall do as I please with you. Understood?"

"Not good enough. If I win, you're going to bring me back to Stark tower AND turn yourself in to S.H.I.E.L.D. If you win, I'll stay with you until I find a way to escape from this island. Is that understood?" Avani growled at him, blue eyes narrowing.

Loki laughed, a deep and hearty laugh, turning slightly away from her as he brought a hand to his eyes. "I don't think you are exactly in a position to dictate terms. It's going to come down to this: I will turn myself in only if you can make me and I will do whatever I please to you only if you can't stop me. And being the gentleman that I am, I am going to allow you to make the first move. Agreed?"

Avani thought on it a moment before nodding her acceptance. _I can't afford to lose this fight._ Loki assumed a defensive position and waited for her inevitable attack. He couldn't help but admire how her scaly wings gleamed in the sunlight, her white hair seeming to glow in contrast. He wasn't surprised when the form he had been admiring disappeared completely from his view. Loki felt her presence behind him and spun to meet her, her claws scraping against his scepter. Avani immediately followed the action with a swift kick to his stomach, pushing him back a few steps. Loki took aim at her with his scepter, firing blasts of energy that she easily evaded. She moved so quickly that she seemed to simply appear out of thin air, feet away from his attacks. He wasn't alarmed though; he had known that she would not be caught by such a simple attack.

She charged in close to him again, buffeting him with her wings and following up with a sweep of her claws that scored his chest plate. As she was grabbing for his scepter with her other hand, he hit her with an energy blast, sending her flying across the clearing into the trunk of a tree. He quickly followed up with a paralysis spell as she lay stunned. Avani's eyes focused quickly and she threw her body out of the way of the spell before climbing to her feet. She spread her palms out before her, gathering magic to her palm. It shaped itself to her command, becoming white-hot before she hurled it at Loki. He quickly deflected it, firing back at her. She dodged, forming a barrier spell around her as she charge straight at him.

Avani grabbed his hands, one containing the scepter, trying to use her velocity and strength to push him off balance and seize his weapon. Loki gave ground, taking a few steps back before pushing back at her. They both began to build magic in their palms, each intending to blast the other away. Avani locked eyes with Loki, blue orbs capturing green ones. The power continued to gather between them. Avani struggled against his superior weight and strength, being strong enough to hold her ground but not to overcome him. _I'll never be able to beat him like this. I'll only end up wearing myself out,_ Avani thought. She fired the spell at him, taking the brunt of the force when Loki called up a shield spell.

She continued to stand her ground though, taking the explosion in order to attack Loki when he expected her defenses to be down. The spell crushed her and ripped at her, opening gashes along her arms and chest that quickly healed and disappeared. In that moment following the explosion, with her head still ringing from the blast, she dropped to the ground. Loki thought that she may be incapacitated by the explosion and loud noise, given her sensitive ears, and readied to paralyze her and end the fight. He was shocked when her leg whipped out, sending him crashing to the ground. She quickly jumped on top of him, her hips meeting his own as she held her claws against his throat, drawing beads of blood, and he pressed the scepter against her chest. They looked at each other, considering. Killing him wouldn't work, but losing was unthinkable. It was not an option. On the other hand, he physically couldn't kill her.

"We both know you aren't going to kill me, so why bother pretending? Perhaps we can move on? I have other things I would like to do today," Loki said huskily, his voice deep and confident. Avani snarled and moved her hand away slowly, watching carefully as Loki lowered his scepter. Before she could react, he fired a paralysis at her, hitting her square in the chest. Her eyes widened as her body jerked in an attempt to break the spell before growing impossibly heavy, her lips parting slightly in surprise. _I didn't even feel him build up the magic for the spell. Shit, shit, shit, shit._

Loki smiled and flipped them over, settling his legs on either side of hers as pinned her hands with one of his. "Well, I'm glad that you don't want to kill me, though you may feel differently now," he said, grinning widely. "You know, Avani, I must say that our time together has been fun. I had not thought that I would enjoy taking care of you, but I found that having you dependent on me for care and company was . . . refreshing, perhaps? To have a strong and stubborn woman like you under my control and at my mercy is a heady feeling. But over the weeks, I found myself becoming restless, unsatisfied with our brief kisses and light petting. That was all just so . . . vanilla. So typical. So boring."

Avani growled at him as his other hand drifted down to rest on her hip as Loki leaned in close to her. "It was a special kind of torture, having my desire just out of my reach because of my own guilt. Now, though, I have you here, all healed and recovered from my _episode_. I was thinking we could pick up where we left off . . ." Loki brought his lips to hers, slipping his tongue inside to taste her as his hand moved to cup a breast. Avani's body kicked into overdrive as she reacted out of pure panic, breaking part of the spell and allowing her to kick him in a very delicate place. He was caught off guard, grunting as he rolled off of her. Avani pushed herself to her feet, moving slowly. Gathering her energy, a scarce resource at the moment, she raced into the forest, disappearing quickly among the trees.

Loki, after minutes of agony, finally climbed to his feet, well and truly pissed. He stared off at the place where she had entered the woods, feeling his anger grow. He had really thought that he had her. Apparently he had not considered how strongly her body and magic were affected by her will. _I will not make that mistake again_, he thought. _Next time, I am going to chain her. She will submit to me!_ He brushed his hair back before walking into the forest in to the right of where Avani entered.

* * *

Avani lay in the roots of a large oak, hidden under it a small hollow created by the passage of water over decades. Her body still felt heavy and clumsy from the paralysis, so she waited for the spell to wear off and planned her next move. If she was going to win this, this . . . whatever it was now, she needed a plan. _He's better at magic and stronger than me, as I am now. I may be quicker, but that won't secure me the win. I need to trick him, trap him. If I can do that, I can then just break bones until he agrees to take me back to Stark tower._ Avani lay back against the dirt and roots, preparing for Loki's defeat.

* * *

Night had fallen long before Loki finished the spell, a complex weaving requiring hours of effort and concentration. Beads of sweat gathered on his brow as he sat for a break. The sun was just beginning to rise over the forest, the darkness giving way to bright light. _She's had all night to prepare. I wonder, will she come for me or will I have to go find her?_ Loki thought, rechecking his work. _This should work, according to my research. It had better. She'll have hidden those cuffs in some god-forsaken-hole by now since they won't work on me._

Loki waited for hours, watching the sun traverse the sky before he decided to go in search of his prize. If she wasn't going to come to him, he would have to go to her. His stomach growled, reminding him how long he had been without food. He doubted that Avani would have gone back to the cabin. With her demon instincts and senses returned, she would acknowledge that as his territory, a place where he would have a definite advantage, which was not entirely inaccurate. He returned to the clearing, noting that Avani's suitcase was still there. Obviously she concluded that there had been nothing in there that she needed.

Loki walked quickly, feeling with his magic for Avani's presence. That was one thing that was nice about Avani: she may be able to sneak past most people with ease, but to those who had a sense for the magical or supernatural, she was a bonfire in the darkness. He couldn't sense her in his immediate area and so concluded that she must be hiding away on another part of the island. He continued to the cabin, armor gleaming golden in the sunlight.

Before stepping into the clearing where the small building was, he paused to take in his surroundings. He still didn't sense her, but she was not the patient type. Once she decided on a course of action, she would be anxious to implement it. Concluding that the cabin and clearing were deserted, he walked up the path to the cabin, thinking that some food would be in order before he sought his missing demoness. Loki yelped as the ground beneath him gave way, sending him down not a foot from the front door. He reached out, seeking purchase to stop his fall, but the walls of the pit were bare. In that instant, he felt Avani's presence flare from above him and he could see the light disappear as the pit was eclipsed in the shadow of jet-black wings. She looked like an avenging angel descending upon him, eyes alight with righteous fury, lips twisting in a vicious smile. Her long, white locks flew wildly in the breeze, stark against the black wings that cloaked him in darkness.

Avani snarled as she followed Loki into the pit, throwing the cuffs she had worn to the side. She tucked her wings in close to her back, diving head on at Loki to meet him with a bone-crushing impact at the bottom of the pit. Loki winced as he felt his ribs break, his armor crumpling beneath her strength like paper. He clutched his scepter, blasting and stabbing her again and again as she continued to punch and claw him, scoring his face and arms and chest. She took each hit, ignoring the pain and dizziness in favor of beating him senseless. Quickly, Loki gathered greater power in the scepter, preparing for what would be a finishing blow against any other opponent. The blast of lightening threw Avani clear of the pit, leaving her twitching briefly on the ground above. The short reprieve gave Loki the chance he needed to shed his armor and heal the worst of his wounds before he transported himself out of the pit.

Avani had her body back under her control by the time Loki appeared and she jumped up to face him. He laughed easily, looking back down at the pit as he calmly circled around it, working his way closer to Avani. "Ah, you are an education, my love! Such a simple trap, set where I was sure to return if I couldn't find you," he glanced at the cuffs. "And I could not sense you because I was searching for a demon." Loki paused, searching his clothing. "I assume you stole the key during our little . . . disagreement yesterday? Yes, very clever. However," He bent quickly, snatching the silver cuffs from the grass, "this was a mistake on your part because I can simply cuff you again and keep you here with me, my dear." Loki continued to approach her, his confidence making him seem even taller than before. He exuded power as he stalked closer, long black hair swirling behind him.

"You think I didn't have a back-up plan?" Avani said, raising her hands to activate the spell that enclosed the pit and a large portion of the area surrounding it, trapping Loki in a blue sphere. The sphere shrank quickly, leaving him only enough room to stand. "I laid that before I dug the pit and I've been storing energy in it all night. It's anchored by a gem I found in the cabin. You can't reach that gem, of course. Now, the way I see it, this is checkmate. You can either admit defeat and take me to Stark tower or I can crush you a bit and _then_ you can take me to Stark tower," she said, demonstrating by shrinking the sphere, forcing Loki to hunch over before she returned it to its previous size.

Loki frowned, touching the walls of the sphere, measuring their strength. Avani had managed to store an incredible amount of energy in the spell. However, he was confused. She could have made it stronger than this, easily. The capability was there. Had she thought that he would be unable to break this?

"You did not make this as strong as you could have. Why?" he asked, unconcerned by he threat to crush him.

"Make your decision, Loki. I'm not going to play twenty questions with you," Avani growled, her voice firm and steady. The sphere shrank, forcing him to crouch on his haunches. He sighed in response, tapping the walls with his scepter.

"This is a very strong trap, certainly, though not your full strength. It would hold my brother, were he weaponless. He hasn't a scrap of magic. It might even hold Odin. It will not, however, hold me," Loki said. Avani growled and the sphere shrank further, carrying out her command to crush him, before it exploded in blaze of green. Loki stood, dusting his clothes and straightening his hair as Avani stared in horror. _That trap was my chance! I can't make another one, not today. If I use any more magic, I'll leave an opening for my other half!_ She gathered herself quickly, retreating swiftly to form another plan.

Loki followed, firing energy blasts at her. She ran, planning to lose him in the forest, but was astonished to find him appearing on her heels. _How is he keeping up?!_ She dodged his attempt to grab her, leaping at a tree to her right and kicking off. She hit the ground ten feet away, running in another direction. Again, she saw a flash of black and green beside her, forcing her to duck and change direction. His deep laugh followed her, seeming to come from far away and from right behind her. Again and again she dodged him, always to find him nipping at her heels.

She tried to backpedal when Loki appeared right in front of her, but knew she would be unable to stop, so she pushed herself to run faster, hoping to knock him down with shear force. Loki smiled and spread out his arms, as if to embrace her. Just before she hit him, a bright flash of light appeared, alerting Avani that a spell had been activated. She brought a hand up to shield her eyes, only to find herself brought to a dead stop. She stood stunned, by the light and by the nagging feeling that she had just run into a concrete wall. Avani felt herself fall forward, her limbs ignoring her commands to move. _Shit!_

Loki caught her easily as she fell toward him. He checked with satisfaction that the spell had set as shimmering green markings appearing around Avani's neck, wrists, and ankles. He gently laid her down on the forest floor so he could more fully heal his injuries before proceeding with his plan. Avani groaned on the ground, body shaking but stationary. She blinked, dazed, before focusing on his triumphant form. Loki smirked at her, white teeth flashing in a wolfish and sinister smile. Avani tried to snarl, to stand and fight, but her body wouldn't listen, giving her a feeling of being bodyless.

"This, my dear, is checkmate," he said as he stooped to pick her up, settling her upon his shoulder, a hand resting upon her thighs to hold her steady. Avani inwardly winced at the feeling of her body being forced back into its human form. "This is a spell of my own creation. After I decided that I would not give you up, I knew that I needed another way to control you, besides the cuffs. A way that would allow you to heal, but still keep you exactly where I wanted you," Loki continued, walking through the forest.

"I made this spell specifically to hold you, though not to seal away your demonic powers. After studying your power over the last few weeks, I was able to formulate a spell that affected your demon and human blood, one that controlled you much more effectively than the cuffs. This spell has several functions, including varying degrees of paralysis." Avani saw that they had emerged in a clearing, passing her forgotten suitcase and continuing up the path to the cabin. She tried and tried to get her body to kick, struggle, _anything_ but this frustrating stillness! Loki continued to talk as he carried her, complimenting her ingenuity in using the cuffs to hide herself, admiring her pit as he passed it by. She hardly paid attention, finding herself slipping deeper and deeper into panic the closer they drew to the house.

Before she knew it, Loki was opening the door and shutting it behind them as he carried her to the bedroom and gently laid her upon the bed. Her eyes stared up at his beseechingly, asking silently if he really intended to go through with this. His face was almost sad for a second as he stroked her cheek and bent to claim her lips. He backed off, shedding his cloak and shirt, revealing his toned chest and abs, muscular shoulders coming into view. His boots soon followed as he made his way back to the bed. As he climbed back on top of her, her body started responding suddenly, almost startling her. She brought her nails up to tear at him, legs readying to kick.

Loki seized her wrists swiftly, pinning them above her head as she snarled and kicked. Once he positioned her wrists against the headboard, they refused to respond fully, stopping as if tied only a few inches from the head of the bed. His weight was settled on top of her, a knee slipping between her thighs as her kicks were halted by the spell. "Loki!" she yelled, finding her voice. He reclaimed her lips before she could continue, slipping his tongue into her sweet cavern as she protested weakly. His hands roamed, stroking her gently, but firmly, caressing her breasts. He hushed her, moving down to suck the hollow between her neck and shoulder. Avani growled her displeasure, her tone changing to a slight whimper as he sucked that sensitive spot on her throat. He could feel himself begin to harden in response.

Loki's right hand slipped beneath her shirt as his other used the blade of his scepter to slice through her shirt and bra, revealing her perky breasts for his appreciation. The scepter was set aside as his hands massaged her mounds, ghosting over the dusky nipples. "Loki," she growled, trying to sound authoritative. "Stop."

His hands never paused as he released her neck. "No," he stated, green eyes piercing. "I have abstained too long. You are _mine_," he growled, eyes glittering dangerously, "I am going to fuck you long, hard, and often, and you will _enjoy it_." Avani shivered, her stomach flipping. Loki moved farther down her body, kissing a trail to her chest before he took a nipple into his hot mouth, his hand continuing to toy with her. His hot, wet tongue felt sinful against her hardening nipple, his fingers squeezing her breasts as he playfully nipped at her. She whined in her throat, a bright blush spreading across her cheeks.

Encouraged, Loki turned his attention to her other nipple, grazing it gently with his teeth, drawing a delicious whimper from her lips. "I think your problem is that you _are_ enjoying it, kitten. Does the idea of being at my mercy turn you on? Is being under my control so appealing that you are quickly aroused?" he smiled viciously, a hand dipping to cup her sex. He was pleased to feel the heat of arousal radiating from her, feeding on the sinful noises she released. Loki released her hardened nipple, kissing his way down to the waistband of her jeans, his hands preceding him. She recovered herself and growled again as he unbuttoned and unzipped her pants, pulling them off of her completely before settling himself between her smooth, tan thighs.

He paused to take in the sight of her damp panties, her legs spread for him, her body bare to his heated gaze. _Almost bare_, he corrected himself. He brought a hand to her sacred place, stroking her through her panties. She continued to growl so he slipped a finger inside of her panties, stroking her clit slightly before pushing his finger inside of her all the way to the knuckle. The growling gave way to a whimper that she desperately tried to fight as she sought to scoot away from the intrusion. He pinned her hips with his other hand, halting her attempt to retreat, and retracted his finger, only to thrust it back into her hot, wet folds. He repeated the movement, feeling himself harden completely as her panties became soaked with her juices and her lips brought forth whimpers and moans that urged him to hasten his movements. He added a second finger as he used the scepter to cut away the delicate cloth, granting him a full view of her glistening folds. She moaned louder, eyes slipping shut.

"Look at me," Loki commanded, halting his movements. "Don't close your eyes. I want you to see who is doing this, who is making you feel this way." Her eyes opened, blue eyes both accusatory and lustful. He smiled. "Good girl. Watch me," he said as he brought his mouth to her clit, thrusting his tongue in beside his fingers. Her eyes widened as she blushed, biting her lips to hold back a moan. Loki hummed at the heady taste of her, his tongue and fingers thrusting more quickly inside of her. Avani moaned as she felt pressure building in her lower stomach, a ball of energy that seemed to wind tighter and tighter with each movement Loki made. He withdrew his tongue from inside her, using his mouth to suck and lick her nub as his fingers thrust deeper and more quickly inside of her tight passage. He could sense her climax coming as she began to buck desperately beneath him, burning for more of his touch.

Loki slowed his efforts, grinning devilishly at her frustrated look. She whined, bucking against his fingers. "Do you want to come, Avani?" he asked, smiling widely at her anxious nod. "Tell me. Tell me you want me to touch you and make you come," he said, his voice low and husky. As he waited, her thrust his fingers into her leisurely, rubbing her nub slowly with his thumb. Loki couldn't help but admire how her body now drew his fingers in greedily, readily accepting them.

"Loki . . ." Avani began, her cheeks flushing red. "Please, touch me. I need to come. Please." Loki almost groaned at the look she was giving him, her eyes half-lidded with desire as she admitted her need.

"Good girl," he murmured as he began thrusting three fingers into her and licking her folds. He could feel her body still sharply as he pushed his tongue in along with three fingers, pushing her over the edge. He continued to thrust his fingers and tongue inside of her tightening passage, drawing cries from her lips that made him want to take her immediately. He was so hard already that it was almost painful, and then, when she moaned his name as she came . . .

Loki stilled his fingers as her juices came forth, the products of her climax. They slicked his fingers and coated his tongue, tasting almost musky. He lapped at his fingers, cleaning them of her cum as he watched her come down from her orgasmic bliss. She watched him, eyes widening at his actions. He climbed back up to the head of the bed, kissing her roughly. Avani could taste herself on his tongue as they fought for dominance, tongues dancing. Loki soon withdrew, sitting up to remove his pants.

Avani nearly gasped when she saw him fully. His cock was hard and erect, precum gathering on the large head. _There is no way that is going to fit._ _He doesn't really think that's going to fit, does he?_ Loki crawled back on top of her, settling between her thighs, cock resting heavily against her. "Loki, there is no way you're putting that in me. It's way too big, _I'm_ way too small," she pleaded, hoping he may see reason.

Loki laughed at her words. "I will fit just fine, kitten, you'll see. I'll have you crying my name very soon," he purred, rubbing the head against her entrance. He teasingly pushed the head in before withdrawing again. It was taking all of his self-control not to claim her right now. He wanted nothing more than to thrust inside and take her. So what was he waiting for?

"It doesn't count if you _make_ it fit, you bastar-!" Avani snarled, the rest of her speech cut off as Loki slammed their lips together and thrust in to the hilt. He swallowed her yelp as he thrust, coming to a halt deep inside of her, his balls resting firmly against her. She froze beneath him, body tense as it tried to accept him. He restrained himself from withdrawing and thrusting back long enough to allow her to relax some, but soon he was pistoning in and out. Loki withdrew until only the head of his cock remained inside of her hot, slick passage before thrusting all the way back in deeply and forcefully.

Avani moaned as the head of his cock slammed against her cervix, writhing beneath him as he took her. She was able to wrap her legs around him and grip his shoulders, allowing her to cling to him. Loki watched her carefully as she moved, elated to feel her holding to him as a lover would. He kissed her again, bringing a hand down to play with her nipples as he continued to pound her passage. His thrusts gained speed as he pulled out only halfway before slamming back in to her, the sound of flesh meeting flesh echoing in the room. Avani felt her orgasm building again with each thrust.

Loki surprised her when he pulled out completely, only long enough to roll her on to her hands and knees as he moved to the edge of the bed. He dragged her to him by her ankles with a vice-like grip as he thrust harshly inside of her tight body. "I am not a gentle lover, my pet. But that should be no problem for a wicked little kitten like you who enjoys being dominated. Tell me, love, do you like it rough?" he growled, nipping her neck as his thrust became rougher and wilder. He was getting close. Avani whimpered pitifully, blushing at his words, particularly because she couldn't call them lies. The knot in her stomach tightened. "What a naughty girl you are. I bet you like being taken so roughly. I'd even say that the idea of me, your enemy, fucking you hard over and over makes you unbelievably wet, doesn't it. Do you want me to fuck you until you can't walk straight, my queen?"

Avani mewled as her body bucked against his, her pussy clamping down on his cock as she climaxed. He thrust deeply inside of her a few more times before burying his cock deep in her quivering passage, the head meeting her cervix as he released. She shivered bonelessly around him as he filled her with his warm cum, thrusting slightly with each spurt. Loki's eyes closed in bliss as he rode out his climax. When he felt himself soften, he pulled out, taking in the sight of his queen well fucked and satisfied beneath him. He lifted her easily, her eyes half closed and sleepy as she looked at him.

He settled her into bed under the covers before retrieving a wash cloth to wipe them down with. When he finished, he slipped under the covers beside Avani and pulled her to him, hugging her close.

_To be continued . . ._

* * *

Well, there it is. My first lemon. Yes, I am blushing. I can't believe I wrote that. Well, let me know how I did. Comments are greatly appreciated. I'm going to go wash my brain now. Bye.


	19. Chapter 19

Alright! Well, I wrote my first lemon last chapter (and I'm still blushing) and odds are such that there will be more to come. Loki doesn't seem the type to miss an opportunity to have some fun, if you know what I mean. Thank you to Loki's Valkyrie, AvalonTheLadyKiller, Savysnape7, Sesshomaru'sGunstuki, and Winter Sombrero for the reviews!

It occurs to me that I did not include a quote for last chapter so I will put in two now:

"You have enemies? Good. That means you stood up for something, sometime in your life." – Winston Churchill

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex . . . It takes a touch of genius – and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." – Albert Einstein.

Chapter 19

Avani jumped out of bed when she awoke, vaulting over Loki towards the door in her initial panic. Panic was swiftly followed by anger as the man sat up, lazily leaning on one arm as he faced her. "_YOU! YOU_ DID THIS!" Avani screamed, hair messed from bed as her hands reaching for the nearest object. A confused look passed over Loki's face as he sat up more fully, seemingly unaware that what he had done was _wrong_.

"I think that if you'll recall, my love, the conditions were –" Loki cut off with a yelp, dodging a silver candlestick that left a dent in the headboard.

"I – You – I ought kill you! I'm _gonna_ kill you, you bastard! You arrogant, conniving, motherfucking sonuvabitch!" Avani punctuated each curse with another object aimed at his head as he blocked them with his magic, which only frustrated her more. Loki had thought to let her anger run its course – atleast until she ran out of things to throw – but he knew he had to take action when she easily hefted the large trunk at the foot of the bed. Loki invoked the paralysis spell, stopping her in her tracks as she prepared to hurl the trunk at him.

He sighed as he got out of bed, pulling a pair of pants out of the dresser drawer and putting them on as he approached her, taking his time. Avani blushed as she realized her own body was bare and exposed to _him_ – _Loki._ He sauntered close, smugness radiating from him. The man brushed his hair back as he walked, stopping close enough to her that she could feel the heat from his body. Loki gently cupped her chin, turning her head up to face him. Her body shook with anger as she fought to move. The trunk was placed back in its place at the foot of the bed Loki lowered her arms.

His _superior_ manner, that _condescending _attitude had her seeing red. After all he had done! He dared to act like this! Before Loki could register what was happening, her fist connected solidly with his nose, sending him stumbling back. The spell regained control of her, stopping her with her right arm stretched out, her left covering her breasts in an attempt at modesty. He held his nose, feeling blood pour out between his fingers. A quick spell healed the damage, leaving him groping for a handkerchief to wipe the blood away with.

Loki looked back at Avani, the flaming horns flickering brightly on her head, eyes blazing madly. She was paralyzed while snarling at him, white teeth flashing against sweet lips and golden skin. _She managed to break the spell, for a time anyway. Very impressive. She must really be angry with me,_ he thought. "I may have deserved that," he conceded. "But getting angry with me won't help anything." Loki paused, looking for any indication that she may be calming down, but she continued to fume. "If you won't calm down then I shall have to leave you here to think things through, hm?" he said, walking past her and shutting the bedroom door as he entered the kitchen.

Avani remained frozen, left to her thoughts as seconds ticked away, becoming minutes. She felt herself calming, against her will, as the adrenaline stopped rushing through her veins. Given the time, she did think, considering what her best course of action really would be from here. _I still can't kill him. As _satisfactory_ as that would be, I would be left stuck on this island or banished to God-knows-where. _She smiled inwardly recalling the feel of bone splintering under her fist, the look of shock that passed through Loki's eyes. Banging and clattering sounded from the kitchen, reminding her that there was a definite problem at hand. Loki had her, for all intents and purposes, back under his thumb, even more so than before. She felt so confused. He was the first man that she had mated with . . . Over 150 years with no more than kissing and light touches until _he _showed up, disrupting everything. She stood, thoughts drifting, listening to Loki's even footsteps in kitchen as he went about preparing . . . dinner?

Finally, after half an hour had passed, the door opened up. Loki walked back to stand in front of her, pleased to see a more rational look in her eyes. He turned back to the dresser, removing a night shirt and holding it out to her as he released the paralysis spell. She was reassured to see that his green eyes were wary as he watched her carefully. Avani snatched the shirt, covering herself quickly, his scent engulfing her. "Dinner is on the table. Shall we?" he asked, motioning to the bedroom door.

"_I_ shall. You can just eat shit and die, asshole," Avani replied, turning sharply. She was thankful that the shirt covered her down to her thighs as she stalked away from him, every inch the haughty and instulted queen that she was. Loki couldn't help but smile a bit. She obviously remained unbroken, maybe even unfazed by their romp earlier. That must have been around noon? It was eight o'clock in the evening now. That left plenty of time for . . . other activities, before they left. He followed her to the table, taking a seat beside of her, at the head of the table. Dinner was simple: Several slabs of steak (mostly for Avani), mashed potatoes (a huge pot that was, again, mostly for Avani), and a large bowl of corn (also largely for Avani).

She quickly heaped her plate with food, tearing in enthusiastically, reminding him of her chronic hunger. Once she had focused on her plate, he carefully served himself, eating neatly. She finished the rest of the food quickly, not offering him any more than he had already claimed for himself. Loki supposed he was lucky that she hadn't snatched the food off of his plate as well. When he finished, he gathered the plates, depositing them in the sink to soak. Avani watched him doggedly, keeping her seat. Finally, he turned to face her, his expression calm and unconcerned as he returned to sit beside her.

Silence stretched between them, tension gathering. Loki nearly jumped when Avani slammed her fists down on the table, standing quickly. "God damn you, Loki! Do you have any idea what the hell you've done? Clearly you were thinking with your little head instead of your big one, you thrice-damned idiot!" she yelled, slamming her fists on the table again before sitting down. Loki laughed at her insult, drawing her fiery gaze.

"I think, my dear, you omitted some information when you were telling me about demons. Luckily for me though, I did come across a book, one I had almost forgotten I possessed, on demons and their world," Loki paused, letting that information sink in, before continuing. His words were slow and deliberate. "I found a very interesting chapter in the tome on the mating habits of demons. A fascinating read." Loki stopped, standing to retrieve a wine bottle and two wine glasses from a cabinet before sitting and pouring them each a generous amount.

"I was positive that this book was accurate because it matched up with all the things you had told me of the demon world. It was also written by a scholar who had made a deal with a demon, exchanging his soul for knowledge. In the chapter, the author wrote that demons, like beasts, seek strong mates, which is logical. Demons seek to strengthen their bloodline, to give their offspring a better chance in a harsh world. However, it is more complicated than that, isn't it?"

"A strong demoness will only mate with a man that her instincts approve of, someone strong enough to protect her and her children. If someone her instincts did not approve of was to try to mate with her, he would find himself maimed, even killed if he persevered, regardless of chains or _spells_ placed upon her. This has nothing to do with physical capabilities, it is a reaction that is so deeply ingrained in your species, in your bloodline, that it cannot be stopped. Am I on the right track?" he asked, watching her carefully. Her face was turned from him, lean body taut. "And here I sit, unharmed except for a broken nose with a strong and very lovely demoness by my side."

"I don't know what you're getting at. I think you've forgotten that I am only a _half_ demon. Those kinds of habits don't exactly apply to me. There isn't a whole lot that does, in fact," she growled, glancing sharply at him before looking away again, arms crossing in front of her chest. The shirt she wore covered her hands and he couldn't help but think that she looked adorable and delectable in _his_ shirt. It made her look delicate and tiny, with the large shirt draped around her. Loki leaned across the table, invading her personal space and prompting her to stand and pace, nervously, he thought, away from him.

Standing, Loki caught up to her, wrapping his arms around her as he held her to his chest, his hips bumping against her firm behind. Avani stiffened. "Oh, but I think it does. I think that your instincts find me to be a perfectly suitable _mate_. And you're the monogamous sort, aren't you?" he purred in her ear, taking in the scent of her hair. "Delicious. I wouldn't be able to tolerate the thought of another man gaining your affection. I am a jealous man –" Loki saw her elbow rushing forward, preparing to slam back into his chest. He spun her quickly, pushing her against a wall, his eyes darkening as their hips met.

"I'm feeling rather hungry, kitten. Feed me?" he whispered, claiming her soft lips.

Loki woke in the next morning feeling better, happier, than he had in a long time. The first thing he had seen upon opening his eyes was Avani's angelic face, which seemed to glow in the morning light. Her white hair gleamed and accented her golden skin, her fine bones and delicate features making themselves known. The man reached out, long fingers stroking her soft hair as he smiled. His smile shrunk a bit, noting that she bore no marks from their previous activities, no love bites to mark her as _his._ He would have to find a way to make up for that, he thought, as he continued to pet her. Avani woke slowly, Loki watching her peaceful expression tense in confusion before resuming its usual fierce look as she found him touching her so tenderly.

"Good morning, my queen," he said, green eyes intent upon her.

She groaned and stretched, glaring at him. "I'm tired," she stated huffily. "And I'm still angry at you." Loki chuckled and lifted himself on top of her before she could turn away from him, settling himself comfortably.

"I can't imagine how that happened," he replied, leaning down to kiss her, pouting when Avani turned her head away sharply.

"I said I'm tired, you ass. And get off, you're poking me," she complained, blushing as she pushed against him.

"We've got time before we need to go. Why shouldn't we enjoy it?" Loki purred, ghosting his lips over her neck.

"Go?" she said. "Go where? We're going somewhere?" Avani pushed him off more fully, latching on to the implication. Loki groaned, realizing his blunder. _There goes my chance at a morning quickie_.

"Yes, yes. I've already packed my things. I assume yours are still out in the clearing," he sighed.

"Well, where are we going?" Avani demanded, eyes lighting up excitedly.

Loki grinned slyly, seeing a second chance. "Well, my love, I _might_ tell you . . . but you'll have to convince me because I think it would be great fun to make you wait to find out." Loki's eyes leered at her lustily and Avani couldn't help but notice how deeply green they were, greener than newly opened oak leaves. She shook her head clear of the thought, narrowing her eyes at Loki.

"NO," she stated, climbing out of bed, taking a quilt with her to cover herself as she went to find some suitable clothing in Loki's dresser as he got up to join her. He walked up behind her, pressing against her back and embracing her as he smiled in the mirror above in the dresser. Avani wrapped the blanket tighter around her as his hands settled low on her hips, his need making itself known. "I said NO, Loki."

"You said no last night, too, but you changed your mind quickly enough, didn't you?" he replied, nuzzling behind her ear. He yelped when she stomped back onto his toes, making her way to the bathroom.

"If you have so much energy, why don't you make yourself useful and bring back my suitcase? If we're going to go somewhere, then I want my clothes!" she called as she shut the door behind her, leaving Loki staring at the door and very disappointed.

"What's wrong with the clothes you just grabbed?" he asked. The idea of appearing before _them_ with Avani, wearing one of his shirts, on his arm was appealing. Especially if that "man" was there.

"These are your clothes. Go get mine!" she yelled. Loki sighed at her insistent tone, admitting – not defeat! – but a delay in his plan. He turned, walking into the kitchen and to the front door where he summoned her suitcase to him with a wave of his hand. He dutifully carried it back to the bedroom as he heard the sound of rushing water coming from the bathroom. Grinning, he dropped the suitcase, slipping inside the bathroom easily. Avani let out an indignant cry as he entered, covering herself with her hands. "Loki! Get out!"

He walked into the large stone shower with her, ignoring her yelling as he stepped under the spray of hot water. His long jet black hair was quickly soaked as Loki stepped close to her. "I got your luggage, love, just like a good boy. Don't I deserve a treat, now?" he asked, reaching to move her hands and grant himself a full view of her, chuckling when she blushed prettily at him. "Hmm, a treat indeed. . ." Avani closed her eyes as he captured her lips in a kiss, still unsure of what to do with the mixture of emotions she was feeling, the feelings of anger, indignation, and also lust.

Loki's hands were so gentle, a contrast to yesterday's activities. He held her as if she might break if treated with anything but the greatest care. Long fingers ghosted over her skin, stoking her passion as he devoured her lips hungrily, his need heavy against her stomach. One of his hands found hers, bringing it to his arousal. She blushed as he wrapped her fingers around him and guided her movements. At the same time, the fingers of his other hand stroked her nether region, causing her to moan and press herself against him as her body reacted automatically to his touch.

She gripped his cock gently, stroking his length slowly. He breathed out unsteadily, giving her encouragement as she grew bolder in her movements. "Good girl," Loki said, voice low and husky. "That's very good." His fingers sped up, thrusting into her purposefully. Avani was surprised to see Loki's length grow harder with her attention. Pre-come began to gather at the slit and Loki moaned as she wiped it away with her thumb. Avani couldn't help the grin that spread across her face. _This will even the playing field a bit,_ she thought. She stroked him roughly, wanting to get him off as she felt her own orgasm building.

Loki soon removed her hand, confusing her. Was she doing it wrong? Loki smiled at her confusion. "You did very well, pet, but I would like to move on to the main course," he said, explaining himself as he easily lifted her into his arms, pinning her back against the wall. His cock rubbed against her sex as Loki lifted her ass, maneuvering her legs around his hips. Loki rested his forehead against hers, his eyes staring into hers while his black hair shadowing them as he entered her oh so slowly.

The care of his penetration and the heat of his eyes made the act so _intimate_, so completely loving, that it shook her. She had considered Loki to be a selfish creature, a man of many hungers, but the depth of emotion in his eyes as he took her gently, tenderly, scared her. He thrust inside of her slowly, penetrating deeply, always seeming to hit just the right spot while holding her close. She clung to his shoulders, biting back moans as each thrust sent jolts of pleasure up her spine. It felt so good, but it wasn't enough!

Avani's arousal raged, pushed to the edge kept there by Loki's torturously slow pace. Loki's eyes seemed to laugh at her, seeing her frustration as she tried grinding against him, unable to affect the pace in the position he held her in. Avani growled in frustration, the menacing sound turning into a whine as waves of pleasure rippled through her, still denying her. She moved her head to cuddle into the crook of his neck as he stopped thrusting, her delicate claws pricking his skin. "Loki . . ." she whispered, hating the need that she could hear in her own voice.

"Do you want something, kitten?" he asked, thrusting once, shallowly, eliciting a sharp moan from her. Having such control over her was such a turn on, he would never tire of it.

"Loki! You know . . ." Avani keened, nipping and licking his neck.

"I really have no idea. I thought you might like to see a gentler side to me. Don't you like how gentle I am being?" Loki responded, thrusting into her gently again. This play was taking all of his self-control, but it would be worth it when he had her begging for him right here in the shower.

"Loki, please, harder!" Avani whispered again, blushing hotly.

Loki smirked triumphantly, though Avani was unaware with her face tucked against his neck. "What was that, pet? I couldn't hear you," he said, goading her. He felt her tense as she realized his intent. He pulled out from her and buried himself to the hilt, slowly at first until her thrust in harshly the last few inches, the head of his cock hitting the mouth of her womb. Avani moaned sharply, hips bucking against his.

"Loki, please fuck me harder!" she cried, legs gripping him tightly, trying to prevent his withdrawal.

"If my queen asks it of me, how can I say no?" Loki purred, unwrapping her legs from around his hips. He pushed them against her, hands on her ankles as he pushed her feet towards her to meet the wall. "How flexible you are," he commented, bending her body as he positioned the head of his cock against her entrance again, thrusting roughly inside. Avani yelped, the new position angling him deeper inside of her as he hit her cervix with every thrust. She panted from the pleasure.

Loki knew that she was close as he slammed into her tight body. Every thrust sent sharp pleasure up her spine, her stomach tightening. The stone wall of the shower dug roughly into her back as he pounded her, skin slapping wetly against skin. Loki groaned as he felt his own orgasm coming, causing him to fuck her erratically, thrusts powerful and quick. He felt her passage tighten around him as he continued to plunge into her depths. Avani moaned his name breathily, _desperately_, pushing him over the edge. He buried himself deep inside of her, moaning, feeling her contract and quiver as he filled her with his cum.

He kissed her passionately again as he pulled out, cum dripping out of her. Loki rested her back on her feet, making sure she was steady before grabbing shampoo. Avani leaned against his chest while he washed her hair, practically purring as the man's long fingers massaged her scalp. She was content to just enjoy his attentions and the afterglow of her orgasm as he cared for her, washing her gently. When he finished washing her, he washed his own hair and body and then turned off the water. A fluffy towel was wrapped around her, though it was taken away when she went to dry herself off.

Loki reclaimed the towel, drying her off himself though she protested. When he finished, he let her get her own clothes and dried himself off, placing the clothes she had gotten out of his drawers back in their place. Avani dressed quickly in a pair of dark jeans with a light blue shirt marked by white swirls. She pulled on black boots, sorely missing the knives that she was still so accustomed to carrying. Loki chose black pants and a green dress shirt with a black jacket, preening himself like a rooster in front of the bedroom mirror. Avani rolled her eyes, throwing her hair into a ponytail to keep the silken strands out of her eyes while Loki brushed out his dark locks.

Loki was surprised to see her hair up when he turned around, expecting her to have left it down, as she usually did. "Should you really have your hair up like that while it's still wet? Did you even brush it?" Loki asked, approaching with the hair brush.

"It doesn't matter. I'll bet we're going somewhere where I can get a haircut and if we aren't, then I'll cut my hair myself. I'm tired of having to deal with this . . . this _nonsense_. I mean, look at this! I've got my hair pulled back and I've still got hair in my eyes!" Avani exclaimed, pointing at the bangs that were long enough to annoy her but short enough that they couldn't be put into a ponytail. Loki sighed, looking at the mess (or what he saw as a mess) that she had made of her beautiful hair.

"Sit down," he told her, motioning to the floor space next to the bed. He could see Avani's eyes spark, clearly pronouncing her intent to say no, so he cut her off. "We won't go anywhere until I take care of your hair.

"There is nothing wrong with my hair that I can't have fixed later! Come on, let's go!" Avani said, lifting her suitcase and making a beeline for the door. She was soon stopped in her tracks as she found herself paralyzed (again). Loki laughed at her angry expression, slipping the suitcase out of her grip and guiding her to the spot he had indicated. Once he had her where he wanted her, he sat on the bed behind her, his legs on either sides of his shoulders. He was quick to pull the scrap of cloth she had found to tie her ponytail. He could already feel tangles forming in her hair.

Loki got up, retrieving a comb to tackle the tangles with and returning to his spot. He set to work, gently untangling her hair and brushing it out, admiring the wave of soft platinum that slipped so easily through his fingers. Little by little, he released the paralysis spell, happy that Avani decided not to fight him over this. Finally he had her hair brushed to gleaming, falling in waves around her shoulders. "Alright, I'm done."

Avani leaped to her feet. She walked back to her suitcase, sighing as her hair moved with her, distracting her. "Can't wait to get a fucking hair cut. This is just stupid," she muttered darkly. Loki retrieved his bag from under the bed and gathered his scepter, following her outside of the cabin. "We're actually going somewhere, right? This isn't another stupid trick just to ger in my pants?" the woman asked sharply, looking at him with suspicion. He couldn't help but laugh at her tone.

"No, this is not a trick. We are going somewhere," he responded as they headed back to the clearing where their fight had begun a few days ago.

"Well?" she demanded, eye brows rising. "Where are we going?"

"Stark Tower, of course. Where else would we go?" he stated, as if it was the most obvious answer in the world. Avani stopped immediately, bag dropping out of her hand, gazing at him with the most amusing startled expression. That soon changed.

"STARK FUCKING TOWER! We're going to Stark Tower?" She paused long enough to draw another breath before continuing to yell at him, her face turning red. "You mean to tell me that you've planned to take us back to Stark Tower all along?! What the -! You – Loki, I am so fucking angry with you right now that I can't even adequately express it and that just pisses me off even more," she snarled at him, stalking towards him angrily, wanting desperately to wipe that stupid fucking _smile_ right off of his god damned face.

Loki, of course, couldn't resist egging her on. "Do you have any idea how incredibly sexy you are when you're angry?" _Yep, that did it, _he thought as she charged at him, fists ready. He set his bag down, just in time to catch her fist before it made contact with his nose. "And here I was under the impression that you _wanted_ to go to Stark Tower. Was I mistaken? We can spend a few more days here if you like."

She stopped her attack, glaring at him before taking a deep breath, calming herself down. "That's quite a temper you have, kitten. How cute," he commented, grinning. She turned her back on him sharply, stomping to her bag and picking it up. They continued walking to the heart of the clearing, Avani clearly pissed. When they reach the point, Loki took her hand, facing her. "I'll tell you this now, I'm not going back to turn myself in, nor to let you go. I want to make sure that this world cannot be reached by your father or the commander of the Chitauri, which, unfortunately, means having to work with your 'friends.' The Chitauri might still be planning to use the Tesseract to send someone here to open a portal. I know the most about the Chitauri, but I won't be handing over my knowledge if S.H.I.E.L.D. is going to send me back to Asgard or make face their 'justice.' Do you understand?" Loki finished, releasing her hand to stroke her hair back from her face.

"You want me to protect you, basically. You want me to make sure that you don't end up in jail, where you _belong_," she spat, knocking away his hand. "You are a murderer, Loki. You killed innocent people. People who did not deserve to die."

Loki was quiet, lowering his hand to his side. "I know," he said, finally. "I know what I am. But I do want to protect your world from the enemies that we both know are coming. Will you deny me the opportunity to prove myself?" Avani's eyes stared into his, as if laying his soul bare. Her eyes cut through him, analyzing what she found critically and intently. This one decision could mean the difference between life and death for her world. She was silent for a long time, searching those emerald depths for some hidden truth.

"Fine. I'll do it. I know you've got more on your mind than just that, Loki. This isn't just out of the goodness of your heart. Maybe you're changing for the better, but there's still a lot of darkness in you, darkness you either can't or don't want to control. I'm not the only one who will be keeping a sharp eye on you," she said, her eyes hardening. "I'll promise you this though: if you betray us, I will kill you. My nature may rule that you are my one and only mate and I will never have another, but I put my people first. I will walk alone forever if I must to save my world."

Loki nodded, considering her threat. He may have her now, but Avani was still not a force to be reckoned with. She held such great power locked away inside that he had no doubts that she could, if pushed to it, kill him. He had learned, over the weeks they had spent together, that the one thing Avani hated more than her father, more than anything, was loneliness. She had always believed that she was condemned to be alone, forever, to watch her friends and loved ones grow old and die while she remained untouched by the passage of time. In their mating, Loki had bound himself to her, promising her silently that she would never have to be alone again. That she would choose to kill him and suffer the loneliness told him just how important her world was to her. "I understand," he responded.

Loki held out his hand to her, letting her make the move to take it when she was ready. She checked her grip on her bag and then, decisively, took his hand, nodding for him to transport them. She shut her eyes as the ground fell away under her feet. The transfer was strange, it tickled, in a way, as they faded into cold darkness for what felt like hours. Finally, she felt the ground become solid again beneath her and opened her eyes.

_To be Continued . . ._

Well looky here. Another update! Please review, I really, really like reviews. I think they are super-mega-foxy-awesome-hot. Thank you!


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